PAHRUMP, NV--(Marketwire - April 6, 2010) - Imagine spending 23 hours a day locked in a cell, with only an hour a day to spend in the sun. That's the reality for many men and women living behind bars. PrisonInmates.com, one of the nation's longest running inmate pen pal sites, is harnessing the power of social media technology to bridge the gap between inmates and the outside world.
"We are using the popularity of social media sites to help inmates find new pen pals and combat the loneliness of prison. We want to try and help them rehabilitate through healthy, positive relationships," states a spokesperson for PrisonInmates.com.
PrisonInmates.com is no longer solely about letters and cards. Instead, it's building a full-fledged social media platform designed to bring inmates and pen pals together through the Internet. Their @PrisonInmates Twitter account, which is used to keep followers informed about their service, has already started to attract a large following. The website also uses other popular social media sites like Digg, Facebook and Delicio.us to help increase awareness of their service and the inmates who are listed on it.
"In 2000, prison inmate pen pal sites were simply a long list of names and thumbnail sized photos," state spokespeople for PrisonInmates.com. "Now... with our site you can read an inmate's blog, send out a tweet, bookmark them using Delicio.us and send a Digg to Digg.com, all from an inmate's profile page."
Since the first quarter of 2010 there have been 2 engagements and one marriage as a result of the services provided by PrisonInmates.com.
"You never know, you might just find your soul-mate in an unexpected place," says one PrisonInmates.com spokesperson. "On our website you will find lots of men and women who have made mistakes and are simply looking for a fresh start or a second chance."
He adds, "We aren't asking you to marry an inmate, although some have. We simply ask that you be a mentor. Statistics show that inmates who have pen pals are less likely to return to prison... We can either help them find the right path or turn our heads and let them return to a life of crime."
PrisonInmates.com's parent company, PrisonVoice.com, LLC, also recently launched EmailingAPrisoner.com, an email to snail mail service that makes it easy for friends, family and pen pals to communicate with loved ones behind bars.
For more information, visit www.PrisonInmates.com.