Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can a prisoner get email?
Yes, but only through the CorrLinks service. Corrlinks is free for outside users and allows you to communicate with inmates via email. Note that you do have to log into the CorrLinks system to get the inmate's email and you have to read and reply to messages within the CorrLinks service only.
How many inmates can I write to?
As many as you want! There is no limit as to the number of inmates you can make contact with through the Prison PenPals web site.
How can I get an inmate listed on the web site?
First you need to create a free admin login account. You can do that here. Once you have the admin login account, you can then go here to create a new PenPal profile. With your free admin account, you can create as many inmate penpal profiles as you want to. Add all of your inmate friends!
What kind of images are accepted for PenPal profile listings?
Images should be 300kb in size or smaller with the preferred dimensions of 200px x 250px. The format can be GIF, JPG, JPEG or PNG (preferred).
Is Prison PenPals a dating web site?
Not necessarily. That is not the focus of the web site. The focus of the Prison PenPals web site is for meeting people - finding new people to connect with. This can be for any reason from simple friendship to a dating relationship and everything inbetween.
How often are listings updated?
The updating of all listings is automagic! They are updated in real time. When you create a new profile or edit an existing profile, it is immediately live the second you save it. There is no delay.
Why do you post the inmates' crime on their profiles, and is this information verified?
We post the crimes so that PenPals have full disclosure about the person they are writing. This information is supplied directly by the inmate and NOT verified by Prison-PenPals.net. Complete information can always be obtained by contacting the prison directly if so desired. The crime we place is generic and rarely includes all offenses. Its purpose is to give the viewer an idea of the crime. However, for full disclosure, viewers are encouraged to visit the DOC, Federal, or County website.
How can I locate a specific inmate?
Both the PenPals and Featured listings have a search box in the upper left where you can search for inmates by most anything desired, not the least of which is their name or inmate number.
If an inmate profile expires, can it be retrieved?
No. Once a profile expires, it is deleted completely from the system. You would have to recreate the profile to list the inmate again whose profile expired.
I've decide to remove a PenPal profile listing. Do you provide refunds?
No, all payments are final. Refunds are not available for any profile listing payments.
Does Prison PenPals verify the information in the inmate profile listings?
No, all information is provided by the friends and/or family of the inmate, or, in some cases, the inmates themselves. The information is all posted as entered. We accept no responsibility for the accuracy of any information found in the profile listings. Since you are dealing with inmates, appropriate caution should be exercised at all times.
Do I need to worry about getting scammed when writing to inmates I find on Prison PenPals?
Appropriate caution should always be exercised. Some things you can expect might be:
  • Fake Pictures
  • - We do not verify that the pictures are even of the inmate. The pictures are added by the admin account hold that manages the profile and they are responsible for adding the correct current pictures where ever possible.
  • Old Pictures
  • Understating their age
  • Lying about their release date
  • - This may not even be intentional considering how complicated it can be to calculate correct release dates.
  • Lying to get money
  • - they sometimes outright lie to get money sent to them. The best advice is not to send money right away and take everything with a grain of salt. Look for signs that they are just using you like asking for money right away. Get to know them before sending them anything or if you do send them something do it in small amounts.