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Bridging the Gap (BTG) offers advice and help to people wishing to write to prisoners in the UK. BTG currently oversees 750 penpals. Do please read the information below carefully. Take time to consider if writing to an inmate is really what you wish to do. Here are some useful guidelines and FAQ's. If you decide you do want to write to an inmate, you have two options: - 1. To print an Application Form - click here. Send your Form enclosing at least one 1st class stamp as well as the one on the envelope to: Bridging the Gap, PO Box 783, Croydon CR9 1BT
If you have not already got Adobe Acrobat Reader, you will need to
download it FREE - just
click
here. |
 Click on the headings below to get to the sections you want to read A WORD OF WARNING!| Are there any restrictions ?| What do I write | Extra thoughts on Sharing your Faith | Sending things in to prisoners | Using us | Unconvicted prisoners | Convicted prisoners | High security prisoners | Special letters | Rules about letters | Writing to a Solicitor | Writing articles and letters to be published | Other information about letters Most of us enjoy receiving a letter or two, especially from friends, but some prisoners' family and friends on the outside cut them off because they are in prison. Not all inmates will have sincere motives, so be cautious and do not disclose your address. BTG strongly advises you to use a safe address. You are welcome to use BTG's Post Office Box Number; unfortunately this service can only be offered to penpals writing from within the UK. You can also use your local church.
Many rules apply to prisoners writing letters, but some prisoners will try to break the rules and manipulate well
intentioned people. BTG has found that by informing penpals from the start
about what a prisoner is allowed
to do or not allowed to do, gives much protection and diminishes
opportunities for prisoners to manipulate penpals. Never try to bend the
rules, it could result in suffering; privileges or communication rights can be reduced
or stopped to the detriment of the prisoner. Are there any restrictions to who can be a penpal?
BTG will seek more information where needed to determine the suitability
of prisoners and people applying
to be penpals. BTG reserves the right to terminate an association with
any penpal or prisoner about whom the company has any concerns. Penpals
must be over 18 as, in our experience, persons
under the age of eighteen years are too vulnerable.
We would encourage you to write about ordinary everyday things even if
they seem trivial. Getting letters in prison is a lifeline - prison is
an artificial environment and keeping in touch with the outside world
is of great value. For prisoners serving longer sentences, keeping up
with happenings in the world outside is of vital importance to prepare
for their release back into society. Please
don't make promises which you may not be able to fulfil, however strong
the temptation. 'Knockbacks' on issues such as parole, education, transfer,
etc. are an everyday occurrence in prison and it is not fair to add to
this climate of disappointment. Extra thoughts sharing your Faith.
Letters that preach can be off-putting and may not help in the way
intended. By all means let an inmate know about your own faith as part
of sharing
every-day news of yourself, your family and what you do during the week.
BTG's advice is simply to 'be yourself'
and seek to build up trust; the rest should flow on from there. Sending things in to prisoners. Most
prisons allow you to send in books, drawing materials, some clothes, postal
orders, stamped addressed envelopes, etc. However, it is important that
you contact the prison first before you send anything, just in case
there is a problem. If you do send something in, we strongly advise that
you mention it in your letter. Please do not become the victim of pressure to send
in any item; you are not allowed to send in any food
and cigarettes. If your letter writing leads to a request for you to
visit, then that will be up to you. Importantly -
if you are in any doubt, please ask before you act.
Please contact us if you want any more information about visiting
prisoners. If
you want to use BTG to receive your letters, please write and tell
us. When we receive letters for you we will forward them to you. We can be contacted
at: Bridging the Gap, PO Box 783, Croydon CR9 1BT. Our phone number is
0870 027 3091. Or click on the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the page
to send us an email. Unconvicted
prisoners can send out two free letters
every week - the prison pays the postage. If they want to send more, they can buy letters from the canteen.
There is normally no limit to how many letters they can receive. The
envelopes will be opened, but the letters not read; this is to make sure
they do not contain anything that is not allowed.
Convicted prisoners can send out one free letter every week. They can
send out as many other letters as they wish, but this is at their own
expense. In many prisons they are allowed to receive stamps,
envelopes and writing paper to help cut down their costs. Always
check with the particular prison to make sure of their regulations.
Unlike other prisons, mail received into high security prisons is
censored
by Prison Staff. For example, at prisons such as Frankland,
Full Sutton, Long Lartin, and Wakefield, mail is opened and sometimes
read. If a prisoner has no private cash, the prison will pay for the postage on letters connected with the defence of their case. These letters will normally be sent first class. They can ask for extra free letters:-
In general, the rules about letters are that they must NOT:-
If the prison suspects that either the penpal or the prisoner is breaking any of the rules, letters can be stopped. From time to time, the Governor can order all mail to be routinely read. If this happens, or if you are writing to a prisoner in a maximum security prison, the following rules may also apply:-
In
this case, prison staff can choose which letter to read and others will be
sent back. If these rules apply to the prisoner you are writing to, they
will be allowed to buy at least one extra letter at Christmas and up to
12 Christmas cards and stamps from the canteen. Letters to and from the prisoner's solicitor should not be read or stopped by anyone in the Prison Service. However, they can be stopped if someone in the prison thinks that they may be a security risk or to break the law in some way. If this is the case, then the prisoner will be told. The prisoner should write on the envelopes of these letters 'Prison Rule 37A'. This is the prison rule which covers legal letters. The prisoner should then seal the envelope before they hand it in. When a solicitor writes to a prisoner, they should mark the envelope with the prisoners name and number, their own address and phone number, and 'Prison Rule 37A'. They should then sign the envelope and put it into another envelope and post it to the Governor of the prison. (If they prefer not to mark the inner envelope in this way, they can write a covering letter to the Governor instead.) If the prison thinks that the prisoner is abusing this rule, they can open the envelopes and read the letters, but the prisoner should be there while they do it. Prison Rule 37A also applies to letters to and from a court, including the European Court or the Commission of Human Rights. Letters to courts should be marked in the same way - 'Prison Rule 37A'. Other
protected correspondence includes letters to the Samaritans, the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Administration, the Prisons Ombudsman and the Prisoners'
Advice Service. If a convicted prisoner is appealing against their sentence,
correspondence between them and the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)
should also be treated by the Prison Service as legally privileged correspondence.
The prisoner should seal their letter and write 'Standing Order 5B 35A'
with their name on the back. Writing articles and letters to be published. Prisoners are allowed to write letters to newspapers, contribute to radio and television programmes, or submit articles to be published, as long as:-
Other information about letters. A prisoner must get permission to write to:-
The prison cannot stop a prisoner writing to their MP, their lawyer, their
husband, wife, partner, fiancé(e), parent, child, brother or sister. But
if any of these relatives ask the Prison Service to stop sending the prisoner's
letters to them, they will be asked to stop writing. The prisoner will
be able to discuss this with prison staff. If a letter is stopped for
any reason, the prisoner will be given an explanation and another letter
so that they can re-write it. An inmate can write in any language unless
they are a category A prisoner. If an inmate wants to send letters abroad
their free letters will be sent by surface mail, but they can pay to make
up the difference to air mail.
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