Best Prison Dating Sites & Apps

The US houses about 22% of the world’s prisoners.

Prisoners spend their sentence days locked out in a small room. On most days, they spend their time regretting their mistakes as most of their families have given up and abandoned them.

And even if they have served their sentence in full, prisoners are often subjected to discrimination and judgment. They receive only a few chances to start a new life, especially when they do not have enough support.

While there are many programs for the inmates to make their lives meaningful in jail, they still long for companionship. Imagine if you can make one prisoner smile. Imagine having something to look forward to when the world seems to turn its back on them.

Good thing there are inmate dating sites that can help them find a safe space where they can interact with the outside world.

Imagine the hopes one can give to these people who seem to have lost their glory. If you believe in second chances, check our recommended prison dating sites.

A reminder: Prisoner dating websites are not your typical online dating site.

Dating prisoners means contacting them through letters or traditional mail because prisoners do not have the privilege to use mobile or computer devices.

Dating prisoners means giving them a chance not to be treated like convicted criminals.

Make a prisoner on death row smile!

There were 569 inmates executed in Texas, USA between 1976 and 2020.

Meet-an-inmate is a powerful tool where civilians can send inspirational messages and support prisoners while serving their sentences. On this platform, prisoners register for standard or featured membership.

The platform displays inmates’ profiles through ads. Civilians can search prisoner ads until they decide who they want to contact.

The details are not the typical profile found on normal dating internet sites.

You’ll find their prisoner number, interests and hobbies, incarceration address, occupation before prison, and release date.

It is also a safe space for civilians since convicted sexual offenders are not allowed to join this prisoner dating site.

Features and benefits

• Communicate with inmates through a postal address
• If the prison system allows, you can communicate through email.
• If allowed, you can call your prison pen pal.
• Meet an inmate
• Active customer support system
• Updates ads routinely
• Unlimited contacts to locked people

Downsides

• You can’t contact prisoners with the same incarceration address.
• The website is a bit outdated.

Love a Prisoner offers 75% compatibility as it claims. Its prison dating services run through a traditional mailing system known as pen pals.

It displays profiles of inmates where the prisoners introduce themselves. These introductions contain their interests and hobbies.

It also allows you to find matches by location or state prisons. This way, a civilian can easily find a prisoner nearby.

You can also search for a match by ethnicity and gender.

We love this site because it allows you to narrow your searches and be more specific. It focuses on finding the best possible match.

The dating site also has a section for prisoner love quotes from notable writers in Prison Quotes. You can also send them published books through the Books Behind Bar section.

Feedback from prisoners released says they found life or a job after servicing their sentence by having support matched from the site.

Features and benefits

• Search state, federal, and county prison information
• If the jail allows, send gifts to a prisoner
• If allowed, you can send a book to a prisoner.
• Registration is easy
• Display profile even if you are not a prisoner
• If the prison system allows, you can also send an email.
• Support includes FAQs and email

Downsides

• No personality test
• No call features

Inmate Classified is one of the oldest prisoner dating sites on this list. It is a private organization that upholds the value of sympathizing with inmates as they live their everyday life.

As a civilian, you can contact them through letters as pen pals. Feedback shows that the site lets prisoners get ad responses from different parts of the world.

You can search inmates by newest profile, longest-running, by state, or by featured members. The site also maintains prisoner articles and news that inform visitors about prison laws and current events.

It displays the Inmate’s profile, convicted case, length of sentence, incarceration date, and release date.

If there is any site more compassionate to prisoners, that would be Inmate Classified.

Features and benefits

• Different ways to search for matches
• Sending messages to inmates is free.
• Viewing inmate profiles is free.
• Displays a very detailed inmate profile
• Options to send an email or a letter.
• Publishes prison news and articles
• Allows email responses with a premium subscription
• Loved ones can list their inmates

Downsides

• A small number of users
• Most users are male.

Women Behind Bars is a long-running inmate dating site exclusive for women. This site is unique because they do not charge women inmates for registering to the site.

It also runs an add-to-cart process where you can pay them for sharing the prisoner’s personal information, such as incarceration addresses. You only have to pay the site once you select a profile.

This female inmate dating site promises to have a system connecting with prisons to enrich their database of women inmates.

Women inmates have greater trust in this female prisoner dating site. Their profiles show how many children they have, their release date, and their willingness to relocate.

Interestingly, this website has an online love calculator based on people’s names. Although it is not accurate, it is still a fun feature.

One thing is for sure, this prisoner dating website creates a safer space and protects their identity.

Features and benefits

• Women’s profiles are not published publicly.
• A unique feature to receive letters from female prison pen pals
• Browse the latest female inmate profiles
• Communicate through letters
• Browse by state, address, or name
• Can connect to international female prisoners

Downsides

• No male prisoners to connect with
• Pay first before seeing their incarceration address

Write a Prisoner offers services beyond inmates dating or mutual relationships. It serves as a bridge to many opportunities for inmates to recover after their sentence.

Inmates can meet counselors, mentors, legal aid, educational institutions, housing opportunities, and employment opportunities.

While these services are their focus, many lonely prisoners managed to find love after prison.

It serves as an avenue for inmates to publish their art and written works, so non-incarcerated pen pals can get to know them better.

This program goes beyond dating, so prisoners can develop new skills and acquire new knowledge.

It allows them to be more confident and become more hopeful as their release date approaches.

Features and benefits

• Interactive platform for lonely prisoners
• Artwork and poem-sharing
• Have a systematic listing of inmate profiles, including a separate list for ones not receiving mail
• Includes programs for self-help and others like books behind bars
• Opportunity to visit when prison allows

Downsides

• Most listed members are male.

Prison Inmates has a modern interface and is mobile-friendly. Non-incarcerated individuals can fund an inmate’s account and even send them gifts.

It has a large user database, and they claim to be the most trusted prison pen pal service provider for inmates in the USA.

They have a flexible search menu, so you will find a variety of inmates. Choose to write an inmate by sexual orientation, ethnicity, or culture.

There is also a separate list for inmates lined for death row or servicing life sentences.

Inmates can also share poems, artworks, blogs, and post their tattoos. There is also a separate section for inmates who have not received any mail after registration.

Features and benefits

• So many options for civilians to select a pen pal
• Large database
• Interactive and mobile-friendly website
• Send messages directly, and the pen pal service will print and mail them.
• Find an inmate new friend internationally
• Fund an inmate’s account

Downsides

• None as of today

Inmate Mingle is serious about making connections outside the prison walls and encouraging relationships more than being pen pals.

They serve as an intermediary to send emails and gifts to your chosen pen pal. You can also send them an email if their prison allows access to the internet.

Non-incarcerated individuals can use their mailing service if they choose not to share their mailing addresses. It has a downloadable app that can alert users if an inmate has updated their profile.

Profile lists details like type of case convicted to, incarceration date, release date, and Inmate Mingle profile expiry. Interestingly, music plays when opening an inmate profile.

Features and benefits

• Send gifts and order brochures for your Inmate loved one
• Option to renew inmate membership
• Separate section for prisoner blogs
• Receive alerts for prisoner updates
• Many options to search for inmate profile

Downsides

• Grammar lapses on the website

Final Thoughts

Prisoners are also human. While we do not condone the criminal act, these people also deserve second chances in life.

They don’t have the privilege we have from outside the prison walls.

You have no idea you can make them smile as soon as they hear their name called in their detention center.

Receiving a simple letter means much to them.

This simple gesture can be the support they need to look forward to their life after prison.