Details of the commitment
For prospective prisoner pen-pals

Consider the following attentively. Do NOT commit yourself if you see that it is impossible for you to fulfil the obligations that the task entails. Contact us if you desire to have more information. There is nothing wrong in doing so. But please understand that this commitment has to be fulfilled with consistency and responsibility.

• Prisoners cherish very much letters, cards, poems, or other things that are sent to them. Such items are usually treasured. One has to keep this in mind when corresponding with a prisoner.

• The prisoner you would correspond with would possibly be a sentenced person. This means that the courts have already reviewed the case, and decided on the sentence. A sentenced person, in fact, is one who is already undergoing a court sentence of imprisonment.

• The prisoner you would correspond with may either be Maltese or a foreigner. The great majority of foreign prisoners in Malta are Arabs and Muslims.

• The prisoner you would correspond with may either be a man or a woman. In Malta, the number of male prisoners exceeds the number of female prisoners by 12 to 1.

• The frequency of your correspondence with a prisoner is up to you. It is advisable to go slow as there may be times when you may not be able to write very often.

• The length of each letter is also up to you. Again, keep in mind that there may be times when you may not be able to write long letters.

• When corresponding with a prisoner you will send your letters directly to prison. His or her letters to you will be sent to MDD's centre at Cospicua, and we shall direct them to you.

• At least in the beginning you shall sign your letters with your personal name. It is advisable that you would not include your family name unless you have become completely acquainted with your prisoner pen-pal.

• Some prisoners may have a literacy problem. This does not preclude him or her from corresponding with you. In such cases prisoners ask other prisoners or prison officials to read your letters and help them to reply.

• You will write the first letter. Recognising that it can be hard to write a letter to someone you don't know, it is advisable that you keep your first letter reasonably short. Just introduce yourself, how you came to write to the prisoner, and maybe add briefly some of your what you know about the prison.

• Corresponding with a prisoner would generally mean writing about ordinary, everyday things, even if they seem trivial to you. Such news helps prisoners to fell a sense of normality in their essentially abnormal situation. Being chatty and creative is the secret. Also, asking the prisoner about the things he or she likes to do is a good way to go about it, responding to the things the prisoner would choose to share with you.

• It is important that you do not ask the prisoner why he or she is in prison, and absolutely avoid discussing his or her case. Understand that this is not your competence.

• Always keep in mind that your correspondence may be opened, inspected and/or censored by the prison authorities.

• It is not improper to append newspaper, magazine or internet clippings, crossword puzzles, poems, cards, and the like, with your letters. It is only advisable not to send too many at any one time.

 

Your commitment to correspond with a prisoner shall cost you no time at all. The frequency of the correspondance depends on your will and feelings.

This is really all there is to it. However, before proceeding, now please visit the CODE OF ETHICS that you shall be required to adhere to. Click here.