Right now over 300 New Zealanders are writing to pen pals in prison. They've connected with the inmates via Prisoner Correspondence Network Aotearoa (PNCA).
The organisation, which launched in 2016, was initially for trans people who experience the worst isolation in prison but is now available to any inmate, founder Ti Lamusse tells Karyn Hay.
Photo: Public domain
Studies show that good connections with the world beyond prison are one of the biggest factors in preventing reoffending, Lamusse says.
Written correspondence is a good way for prisoners to get this contact - and it also gives people on the outside insight into life inside.
To make the connections, inmates provide a written self-introduction for the PNCA website then people outside choose to write to them.
Some of the most prolific letter-writers are retired people living in rural areas, Lamusse says.
"They've got the time and they want to use it to make a meaningful connection and hopefully improve someone's life."
The low literacy rates in prison can pose problems with correspondence, but letter-writing offers inmates the opportunity to practice writing, he says.
"Lest we forget that prisoners are recruited from our most marginalised and most impoverished sector of society and with that comes a history of failure from education providers."
Prisoners write handwritten letters which those outside reply to by email - the quickest way to get messages to an inmate, Lamusse says.
All communications go through PNCA and are private on both ends, with no addresses or last names given.
Prisoner Correspondence Network Aotearoa is part of the prison abolitionist group People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA).
Photo: PCN Aotearoa / Facebook
