PenPals.Buzz aims to humanize prisoners. We believe in an incarcerated man or woman’s ability to grow, change, and be productive, either in or out of prison. It’s not our job to judge a person’s worth or value based on a bad (or sometimes very bad) decision in their past. Our goal is to make a positive impact on society by connecting inmates with free-world pen pals – men and women who can provide positive social influences – thereby improving a prisoner’s sense of self-worth and value, and ultimately improving their productivity and reducing the recidivism rate.
While many people on social media assume they’re being scammed or manipulated or used, when an inmate pen pal asks for money, sometimes just a small amount of money can make a world of difference to an incarcerated human being. Not all prisoners are lying; not all prisoners are trying to take advantage of you. Think of it — prisoners earn an average of just 20 cents per hour, or $1.60 for a full days’ work. An amount as small as $5 could benefit someone in prison far more than a tall caramel macchiato at Starbucks might benefit us. For that $5 they could purchase new underwear or socks, for example, or a bottle of aspirin and a few stamped envelopes to write to their mom, dad, or children. Do you really think the tip jar at the mall food court deserves that $5 more than your inmate pen pal?!
When we learned this week that Pope Francis had, just prior to his death, arranged to empty his bank account and donate not $5, but a whopping 200,000 euros to the prisoners he had long believed in, we felt such a sense of contentment and comfort. This final act of love toward those he had called his “brothers and sisters behind bars,” was said to capture the very essence of who Pope Francis was. Many had witnessed firsthand the pope’s commitment to the incarcerated. Even as his physical strength visibly declined, Francis refused to abandon these members of society. In fact, shortly before his death, the Pope visited Regina Coeli, a historic Roman prison. He made it a priority. We admire this so much about him.
Francis’s bond with the incarcerated population was a major part of his ministry. He made headlines by washing the feet of inmates on Holy Thursdays and calling for greater compassion within justice systems. Sadly, the pope’s heartfelt appeals for prisoners often were ignored. Pope Francis himself said that the prisons “did nothing to even give even a small signal” that they were interested in reform. We’re faced with those same deaf ears here in the United States, by so many prison officials throughout our country.
Just a month before his recent death, Pope Francis pushed even harder to bring hope to the incarcerated. One of the most significant achievements was opening a Holy Door at the Rebibbia prison. This was a privilege previously reserved for only the Vatican’s own St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis felt this would be a powerful way to “reignite the light” within prison walls. It did spark a sense of hope and change, as groups of volunteers, priests, and religious sisters now regularly enter the prison to join the prisoners in Mass and in moments of reflection. They were instructed not to observe prisoners like zoo exhibits, but to instead share in their humanity and struggles, to connect with them on the same level, not as superiors.
Sadly, the systemic changes Pope Francis always hoped for, like sentence reductions or more human prison conditions, never really came to be. The lack of any government response left prisoners feeling bitter and with little hope. Pope Francis had seemed like their only real advocate. These inmates saw the pope’s death as not just the passing of a religious leader but as the loss of a father figure.
Bishop Benoni Ambarus, auxiliary Bishop of Rome and director of the Office for Prison Pastoral Care, said, in response to the efforts of Pope Francis, “Being there…is often the most powerful gift one can offer.” Too many inmates, he said, never receive a single visitor. “Small gestures — a letter, a conversation, practical help with shoes or clothing — can reignite the human dignity that prison walls so often extinguish.”
We concur.
