Prison Pen Pal Websites: Here's Our Top 3!

Number 3: PenACon.com

What We Liked: Very user-friendly website; over 5,000 prison inmates to choose from; great search options; profile was added in less than three weeks; affordable base price; option to sign up for entire prison term at a discount.

What We Didn't Like: Base package yielded no responses. In order to be successful, you may need to purchase their upgrades which can ultimately double or triple the price. Many of the inmates listed have already been released. This can be frustrating to people who write to an inmate and get their letter returned and can also make it harder for their current members to be found. Blog section and other information hasn't been updated on the site for two years.

Summary: There are definitely worse options in the Prison Pen Pal world, and while their base price is low and their website is well-built, we feel your money would be better utilized elsewhere.

Number 2: WriteAPrisoner.com

What We Liked: They show up toward the top of Google searches, which tells us they invest money into marketing their site. Free pen pal messages are sent to inmates every two weeks, with the pen pal's photo included in the message. They've been around for 25 years, and are very well known among prisoners. We did get responses from our profile, within the first 60 days.

What We Didn't Like: Spam-like banner ads fill the homepage, which can be misleading and distracting. Profiles can take several months to be added to site, once payment is received. Users are required to sign up with full name, address, and email address, before being able to view inmate's mailing address. Limited extra services are available for purchase. With over 8,000 prison inmates listed on their site, an individual prisoner's profile might not get noticed unless he or she pays extra money to be moved to the top of their listings.

Summary: This site has been around for a quarter century, which tells us they obviously are doing something right. They actively promote their website online and have good exposure in search engines. An inmate will likely get some responses from free-world pen pals, but they should be prepared to wait a few months for everything to be processed and published.

Number 1: PenPals.Buzz

What We Liked: Profile added to site the same day it was ordered. We got responses from pen pals almost immediately. A variety of unique add-ons available, including promotions on their own Pen Pal Podcast or to their email subscribers. Plans allow for more photos and more words in the profile than their competitors, at reasonable prices. Great customer service, with live representatives answering phones, and prompt replies to our emails. User-friendly website, with no registration requirement to browse profiles and addresses. No ads. They also offer bundled pricing plans for nice savings.

What We Didn't Like: They've only been around for two years, so may not be as tried-and-tested as the others. Fewer than 2000 inmates are members on this site, so if you're searching for the perfect prison pen pal to write, you may have more options elsewhere. Their blog section is updated about once a month, but we'd like to see them improve this section of the site with useful articles, links to resources, etc. Site seems to load slightly slower than the others, which can be a bummer for those with a weak wi-fi connection.

Summary: Our #1 pick, PenPals.Buzz, just feels different to us. We especially appreciated their customer service and the speed of which they set up profiles. They're the newest of the three sites we reviewed, which may cause some hesitation, but their fresh approach and genuine interest in helping incarcerated people and their loved ones really stood out. Their podcast details success stories of people who met on their site, which is a first in the industry. For both prison inmates and free-world people seeking pen pals, we vote this site #1 overall.