David Bomber: Incarcerated Artist, Blogger, and Actor

Prison Pen Pal David Bomber has been incarcerated for 15 years at Nottoway Correctional Center in Burkeville, Virginia, but there’s so much more to his story. This blogger and artist once acted in the same movie with Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning — War of the Worlds! During our interview, he shares fond memories of […]
Jason Kurtz – Incarcerated Author

Jason Kurtz, an incarcerated author at the Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, has written four highly praised books: Secrets to Wealth, Secrets to Wisdom, Secrets to Wealth and Wisdom, and Secret Tales of the Supernatural. All are available as paperbacks or e-books at Amazon. We interview Jason Kurtz, a member of PenPals.Buzz, as he shares […]
Easter Nightmare: An Interview with Colby Brookman

It was Easter, 2020. PenPals.Buzz member Colby Brookman was driving home from dinner at his mother-in-law’s house, where he had been drinking. His wife, J’lynne Stothers, was a passenger in the front seat. In the back were Colby and J’lynne’s two infant daughters, Ariana and Ava, along with his 32-year-old brother-in-law, Matthew, who was autistic. […]
Prison Wife, Therapist, and Author: Interview with Annie Perry of JailHouse Books

Annie Perry is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who often helps her therapy clients learn to manage grief. She’s also a prison wife. Annie met her husband, Henry, nine years ago on a prison pen pal site called Friends Beyond the Wall. Today, their relationship is stronger than ever. Together, they formed a business called […]
Former EMF Gang Member Talks Faith, Hope, Redemption

As a young boy, Christian LaFargo was introducted to the violent El Monte Flores EMF gang, affiliated with the Mexican Mafia, in Southern California. Forced to grow up with an incarcerated father, EMF was all he ever knew. “It’s just the culture there,” LaFargo said. Chris, better known in EMF as Bossy — pled guilty […]
Write a Pen Pal Profile that Gets Results

When a prison inmate spends their hard-earned money for a pen pal profile, it should be considered an investment — into their lives, their happiness, and their future. But what actually makes a profile good or bad? In this episode, Big Steve and Daisy share proven tips and techniques to help incarcerated men and women […]
Jimmy Tench Interview from Death Row

Jimmy Tench, convicted of murdering his mother, Mary Tench, and sentenced to Death Row in Ohio, recently appeared on Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks (Season 2, Episode 4: He Murdered My Mother). Now, Jimmy (or James Tench, as he’s listed in the Ohio DOC) speaks to us from a telephone in his prison cell. […]
Pen Pal Love Across the Pond: Bianca and Armon

On the evening of July 17, 2024, Bianca, from the UK, was browsing inmate profiles on PenPals.Buzz and was attracted to Armon Irons, an American prisoner with tattooed hands. Minutes later, she sent him this email: Good evening Armon, Sending you lots of love from across the pond. Loved your profile. Never done this before. […]
Prison Pen Pal Podcast Trailer

The Prison Pen Pal Podcast explores all aspects of prison inmates and their pen pals. Thinking of writing a prisoner? Already have a loved one who is incarcerated? Curious about why someone would write a letter to an inmate? Or, maybe you just want to learn about an entirely new way of making friends. You’ll […]
Prison Artist: An Interview with Alfson

St. Peter, Minnesota boasts a plethora of sights: a beautiful arboretum, a Veteran’s Memorial, the Paddlefish Brewing Company (with 12 homemade beers on tap) and last but not least, the prison artist known as Alfson. This artist, whose real name is Benjamin Alverson, can’t really be considered a prison artist, as he is technically not […]
Ghosted By My Prison Pen Pal

For over 16 years, Andrew, a real-life 40-year-old virgin, has been sending money to male inmates, hoping to find love. We applaud him for being brave enough to share his story on the podcast. Hear how much money he has sent to prison inmates, why he feels he does what he does, how he deals […]
Microwave Manifesto: Food and Philosophy Behind Bars

In the early morning hours of May 1, 2019, Paris Siripavaket (also known as Sirii) was involved in a traffic accident that would send her to prison for six years. Paris, a self-proclaimed “suburban cat mom,” had worked a professional job in sales and had no clue what to do when she first walked into […]