STAYING CONNECTED

Staying connected to your incarcerated loved ones

Keeping your relationship with your incarcerated loved one strong is easier than ever thanks to Pelipost, the Photos-to-Prison App®

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.

Coretta Scott King

Here at Pelipost, we understand firsthand the difficulties of staying in touch with an incarcerated loved one

Joe Calderon, the co-founder of Pelipost, had to struggle to stay connected while Becky — also a co-founder — was in prison.

You see, Joe Calderon is Becky Calderon's son. When Joe was a freshman in college, Becky was sentenced to three years in prison.

Unfortunately, Becky was transferred to a state prison that was 8 hours away from where Joe went to school. He had to take an entire day every Sunday to drive out for visitation.

As a busy working college student, it was a struggle to find time to send photographs and stay connected.

Because of this struggle, Joe, Becky, and the Pelipost team can offer insight into the different ways to stay connected.

3 ways to connect with your loved one

That's why we want to share several ways you can stay connected to your inmate.

Send mail

Sometimes, sending letters in the mail can feel like a chore, especially with busy lives. But this small gesture can make a huge difference.

You may also consider starting a prison correspondence with an incarcerated pen pal. Studies show that a single pen pal can make a significant impact on the life and rehabilitation of someone in prison and can ultimately contribute to reducing recidivism. We are proud to announce our Preferred Pen Pal Partner, Wire of Hope!
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Learn more about their Prison Pen Pal Program here.

Make a phone call

You'll need to find out when your incarcerated loved one can take phone calls and then mark it in your calendar to call them.

Small acts of connection mean a lot to someone on the inside. Those small acts add up quickly — as do the absence of these moments of connection.

Visit in person

Physical visitation regularly isn't always possible. This is especially true for those who live far away from the correctional facility.

If you can, visit your loved one as often as possible. The in-person connection can mean so much, especially when someone is struggling with loneliness and disconnection.

Visiting makes a difference

If you have a loved one in prison, trust us when we say that staying connected will have significant benefits for your incarcerated loved one. Prison can feel isolating. The look on someone's face when they don't receive any mail is devastating, as some of our PeliPeople share on our blog, the look on someone's face when they don't receive any mail is devastating.

Prison is a place where a person becomes a number. They're stripped of normal life but shouldn't be stripped of their humanity. Staying connected with loved ones can be a vital link to the outside world, to a person's identity outside of those walls, to hope and love and support.

Read customer stories

When you can't afford to stay
connected — you have options.

Incarceration can significantly impact a family on many levels, including emotionally and financially.
If you can't afford to stay connected to your incarcerated loved one,
you have options.

Write to a Pen Pal

Wire of Hope was created from their founders’ personal experience with incarceration. We both believe in the power of communication with our incarcerated loved ones and the importance of letters and photographs inside prisons.

Writing to someone in prison can make a positive impact on their daily life, feeling of hope, and rehabilitation. Get started by browsing Wire of Hope’s free pen pal listings here.

Learn more about beginning a prison correspondence through Wire of Hope’s Prison Pel Pan Program.

Sending Photos

Pelipost offers an Inmate Prepaid Account Program called PeliPALS, you can have your loved one load the account with funds, and then you can send photos to prison as needed through one of the best apps for inmates.

The struggle to send pictures is real. That struggle was the reason Pelipost was created in the first place.

Make an effort to stay connected with your
incarcerated loved one.

It'll make all the difference!