Letter Writing Ministry

All applicants must agree to abide by these Guidelines in order to participate:

• No romantic, financial/gift, or legal-aid interactions are allowed. Requests for such interactions could be grounds for terminating the match and/or barring future participation in the program.
• Letter-writers (“LWs”) must respect the confidentiality of their match’s name and contact info and not share this with any other person. LWs should not communicate with any other person through their CLF match. “Free-world” LW’s may not help locate or give contact info for any other person or relay info/items to any other person.
• LWs may not request or send items considered contraband by the prison facility.
• Matches are made based on demographics, location (at least three states in between), spirituality, and interests.
• All mail to and from members in prison will be through the postal service (on paper, mailed in envelopes with stamps).
• We hope participants will exchange letters for at least six months, although many matches last longer.
• Members in prison send their letters to the CLF’s office to be forwarded (unopened) to the non-incarcerated UU with which they’ve been paired. The CLF only shares the first name of the non-incarcerated person with your pen pal match; they are given no other personal information.
• LWs may decline to write about, and may ask their match to avoid, uncomfortable topics. LWs may decline to share personal information at their discretion. LWs should respect these personal choices. Not doing so could become grounds for terminating the match.
• LWs may confer with CLF staff to ask advice or discuss concerns, and either LW may request that the match be terminated.
• Requests by either LW to break or bend these Guidelines could be grounds for ending the match or participation in the program.

Participation requires patience and persistence, as many things can interfere with your attempt to exchange letters with your match. Letter writers (“LWs”) who are not incarcerated can become busy with work, family, and other personal concerns. LWs who are incarcerated face a number of potential barriers:

• inconsistent access to paper, pens, envelopes or stamps (and often aren’t allowed to receive these from “outside”)
• transfer to another facility with no notice
• personal property trashed or declared “lost” while they’re out of their cells/dorms
• general delays in the prison’s processing of mail

We ask our LWs to exchange letters about once a month, and there’s no requirement to wait for a response. If you have more to say than your match, you can write again before you receive a reply. If your match writes more often than you care to, you can reply to several letters with one of yours. In time, each match finds its own pace.

It’s a good idea for non-incarcerated LWs to start every letter by giving the date(s) of the letter(s) you’ve received since you last wrote, and the date(s) of any letter(s) that you’ve sent IF you’re not sure your match received them. If you write and don’t hear back, then write again! If you send two letters with no reply in over two months, notify the CLF staff.

In response to concerns about unsolicited contacts from people who are incarcerated, the CLF only gives/uses the first name of our free-world LWs. Incarcerated LWs will address their letters as shown below:

Prison Ministry – Attn: FirstName
Church of the Larger Fellowship
24 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA 02210-1409

CLF staff will relay unopened letters to their free-world match. Addressing in this way allows the CLF to protect personal information, watch for address changes, and note which matches are still active and which are faltering. This practice also reminds both LW’s that they are participating in a ministry sponsored by the CLF, and that CLF’s Prison Ministry Director remains available to both LWs for advice/support and to help address problems, concerns, etc.

The CLF’s only expectation is that participants write friendly letters on topics of mutual interest. We hope you will exchange letters for at least six months (and you may continue longer if both LW’s wish), but we can also assist in ending a match. If either LW comes to some difficulty or discomfort in the match or simply does not wish to continue, please contact CLF’s Prison Ministry staff. We can help address any problems that may have arisen and/or help bring your match to a caring conclusion. We’d rather avoid matches that end with participants wondering why they never heard back from their match, or feeling bad that they just quit writing with no explanation.

Please also read the “Notes for All Participants” section above.

It is important to address envelopes to your pen pal using their full official name and prisoner ID number. Your pen pal will be given only your first name. If you mail your letters to them directly, they will be able to tell your city and state from the postmark.

If you prefer, the CLF can forward your letters to your pen pal. Use the following as your return address and remember to use enough first-class postage:

Prison Ministry – Attn: FirstName
Church of the Larger Fellowship
24 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA 02210-1409

Our only expectation is that you will exchange letters. If you want to send anything else, first ask your pen pal if the items is desired. Prisons vary widely in what they allow, so make sure you also check the facility’s website for specific rules.

When in doubt, send only plain paper. Avoid any metal (no paperclips, metal clasps on envelopes, foil on cards/envelope liners, unnecessary staples).

Items that can’t be read or that could have con­traband inside or between-layers might be returned. For example, CDs/DVDs, Polaroid photos, drawings or writing using markers (especially Sharpies), even stickers/labels can be a problem. If something is returned, just live and learn. Don’t ask your pen pal to explain it or protest it. It’s harder on them than on you.

If you fill out any form provided by your pen pal or their prison, a copy could be given to your pen pal, which gives them access to whatever personal details you provided on the form (such as your full name, address, social security number, etc.).

If you order a book, magazine subscription, or any other gift, your name and mailing address could appear on the packing slip or recipient paperwork that goes to your pen pal. Many prisons will only accept such material direct from the publisher or bookseller. Also, consider how it will feel to your pen pal if/when you decline to renew a magazine subscription. Be clear about what your pen pal wants and upfront about what you are willing to provide.

Everything you write in your letters can also be read by prison staff and any other people who are incarcerated who might have access to your pen pal’s personal possessions. Please honor your pen pal’s need for discretion in their letters and in yours. Even if your match has shared delicate personal info with you, it might be good to use indirect wording in your replies.

Think twice before suggesting or agreeing to a photo-exchange. Many who are incarcerated do not have easy access to photos of themselves, and the few personal/family photos they have may be precious to them. It’s also not uncommon for people who are incarcerated to associate a photo-exchange with a more romantic relationship than you may have intended. We suggest you do not send photos of children/youth, as these could end up where you didn’t intend them.

People who are incarcerated vary widely in their sense of appropriate behaviors and boundaries. You may need to remind your pen pal about the letter-writing guidelines and the need to stick to them. You can ignore questions/comments you do not care to respond to, or tell your pen pal outright if they suggest topics you don’t want to write about or be asked about.

If you ever have questions, problems, or concerns, do not hesitate to contact the CLF Prison Ministry. We’re here to offer advice and support to our letter-writers.