Sometimes, certain acts of kindness don’t only help you change someone else’s life, but also improve yours as well. Something as simple as writing to a prison inmate can brighten the day of a lonely soul out there. What’s in it for you though? Well, we will talk about that here.
In case you’re convinced you want to try finding an inmate you can connect with on a deeper level after reading this article, we recommend using prison and prisoner search portals used to search inmates.
Before you do that, let’s look at some of the benefits of becoming friends with an inmate.
1. A Change Of Perspective
Humans have a natural tendency to surround themselves with people who have similar thought processes and outlook in life.
Do you have a tendency to look for people who have preferences and tastes similar to yours? Your friend circle probably consists of your school, college friends or colleagues- people who largely have similar experience in life.
You might not realize it yourself, but at some point, you will have gotten too used to having your opinion validated by others. You never really get to meet someone who had to grow up differently from you and thus, has a different perspective than yours.
When you become a prison pen pal, you come across someone who lives a life, unlike anything you have seen before. This can drastically challenge your version of the truth and help you achieve personal growth.
2. Fading Loneliness
There must have been times where you have felt totally lost in your life.
For some reason, you can’t even articulate why you feel so lonely, despite being surrounded by others, but the feelings hang over you like a constant cloud. Inmates experience this feeling a lot, for they are stuck in a boring, repeated routine inside the prison. They don’t have any idea what the outside world is like now and are frankly terrified of it.
Becoming friends with them will allow you to share your deepest and darkest thoughts with someone. You can communicate with this person on a level that can be quite hard to achieve with the regular people around you.
In turn, you give them someone to vent to. You also give them hope that there’s someone outside who cares about them. This can be especially precious to people whose family and friends have stopped visiting them.
You strike up a friendship unlike any other, born out of mutual respect.
3. A Ray Of Hope
The world inside a prison can be incredibly dark and lonely. The inmates worry constantly and live in fear that when they do get out, they won’t be able to naturally incorporate themselves into society again. The small connection you form with them can be a source of encouragement and hope for them. You can assure them that there is still a place for them in society.
Your few words of comfort can get them through the worst days. This act of kindness can especially be helpful for people who are facing wrongful accusations and ended up with a prison sentence they never should have to face.
On your part, by understanding how unkind life can be to others, it helps you feel more grateful for yours. If they are trying this hard even in this situation, why can’t you?
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a lifetime friend and someone who could use your friendship, you should really look into prison pen pal options. You never know what kind of person you would get matched with, whether they would be from a different race or way older or younger than you, which makes it all the more exciting.
Good luck on your journey!
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.