PO Boxes are required for the program. You can sign up for informed delivery when registering.
We will reimburse you for your PO Box. Please fill out this form.

Yes! In order to continue work with our program you must attend.

Our meetings are 30-45 minutes long and happen twice a month on Tuesdays at 5:00pm, and Wednesdays at 5:30pm, so please schedule accordingly.

If for some reason you can’t attend, let us know by sending an email along with a short update of how you and your writing partner have been that month, any updates, questions, or concerns.

The zoom link is the same every time and available on the Mentor Portal page.

Here is a sample introduction letter:

[Date]

Hello [Name]

My name is [Name] and I am so excited to begin working together on our journey with Transforming Lives.

[A few small personal details – where you're from, general interests, fun facts etc.]
Where are you from? What are your interests?

It can be difficult getting to know someone through the written word, so perhaps we can both write how and why we chose to participate in Transforming Lives and share those thoughts with each other?

Transforming Lives encourages you to keep a (mostly) daily journal. Things you’re thinking about, musings on family, what you’re feeling, hearing, seeing at that time. We’re here to explore who you are, what led you to the person you are now, and look forward to the future. Writing can be its own place of solace.
If you're finding writing difficult, let me know and I can send you a writing prompt, if you'd like. While working on your journal, you and I will write letters to each other about life and writing. You can send individual journal entries as letters as well, we'll find what works best for each other over time.

I will keep all of your writings safe [in my desk, in a folder, etc]. You can send them to me at:

[PO Box]

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Looking forward to working with, and getting to know you!

[Name]

Make sure to personalize your letter! It should be written in your own voice – that’s how they’ll get to know you.

You must include your full name and PO Box address on the top left hand corner of the envelope.

Letters take a while to go back and forth. Often there will be 2 weeks between, but this varies. Don’t be surprised if there is a much longer wait time. Or shorter. It truly depends on which facility your partner is at, and how often you both write.

JPay messages may come out of order, and each prison offers different access to kiosks.

Acknowledge that this will ebb and flow over time, and as you get more acquainted with your writing partner.
Some people communicate weekly, some every other, some every three weeks. Every other week tends to be the average for snail mail.

JPay is the email service for those who are incarcerated.

While TL encourages you to engage with your partner via snail mail, there may be times when the speed of JPay is preferable.
You can go to www.jpay.com to set up an account.

If you create a JPay account, you will need to purchase “stamps” (we can reimburse you).

Each email requires one stamp to send. At the bottom of the “Compose” page will be the option to include a reply stamp. Please check that box, as it will allow your mentee to respond without using their own money.

Please check the DOCCs website for information about the specific facility you will be going to. Hours and days are different for each. Don’t be afraid to call the facility with any questions you might have.

We recommend getting to the prison at the earliest visiting hour on the day you go. It can take quite a lot of time from the point you arrive to when your mentee sits down in front of you, often upwards of an hour or so.

Bring your government issued photo ID and write down your partner’s DIN# on a small slip of paper in case you forget.

Wear simple, modest clothing. Avoid printed images on shirts, low cut tops, short skirts or shorts, exposed shoulders, sweatshirts with hoods, or clothing that is overly tight or overly bulky, etc. Remove all jewelry. Basically, be as boring as possible. Bring a change of clothing just in case.
There is a list on the DOCCs website, if you want to check.

There are lockers at the facilities where you can put coats, car keys, bags, etc. Some facilities require a quarter for their lockers that will be returned when you leave, some you may need to bring your own lock (code only, no key).
It is recommended that you leave as much as possible, especially electronics, in the trunk of your car or at home.

You can bring cash, $1 bills and quarters are recommended, and at some facilities you may bring a debit card for the vending machines. We can reimburse you for these costs.
You cannot bring anything inside to give to your partner.

Visiting prison can be a difficult experience for many, especially the first few times. COs can be quite gruff, or make you feel as though you are a suspicious person, but try not to take it personally – and don’t talk back to them. It is in the best interest for you and your partner to have your visit be complication free, as your behavior may come to reflect on your mentee.

You may have a different experience each time you visit. Sometimes a CO will let you get away with something another would not. Try to go with the flow as best as you can.

Please note that you will likely need some downtime after your visit. Many people come away quite tired, as it is an emotionally complex experience. If you want to decompress by talking to someone else in our program, let us know.

And enjoy your time with your writing partner! Laugh, play games, draw… whatever works for the two of you. Visits are precious to people inside, so make the most of it. It will be precious to you as well.

If you have any other questions, please reach out. Many have visited the same facility you’ll be going to and will be able to provide insight.

If you are having any difficulties please reach out to our team, or bring your concern to our bimonthly mentor meetings.

If they aren’t responding for a period of time that makes you concerned, write your partner and ask how they are doing. If you don’t receive a response within 2-3 weeks from then, check in with us.

We do not provide legal services, we are not here to help someone prove they are innocent, but we can pass on information about Prison Legal Services (PLS) or Legal Aid if that is what the person seems to be most interested in. But do ask if they would like to still participate in the program as it is, a writing mentorship. They can then choose to participate or not.

If they have written an inappropriate letter, please bring that concern to us immediately (by personal correspondence or at the mentor meetings).
You may examine and then gently explain your boundaries. If those are not respected and you wish to be paired with a different person, let us know. And then write a letter to that incarcerated person explaining that someone else will be contacting them in the future. We’ll take it from there.

We discourage you from sending your partner money. It can set up an expectation for the future that can be unhealthy for a mentor relationship.
You are doing more than enough through writing and encouragement.

Do not send anything other than writing instruments up front.

If your writing partner asks you for money or items, please consider your comfort levels, and the amount of time you have worked with your partner.
You are not required to say yes to anything outside of the program boundaries.

You can politely explain that our program does not offer financial support. We are working on a list of resources for those who are in need of support items etc.

Do understand that while our incarcerated comrades are good people, prison is a difficult environment and financial support is something people may seek out as they can. That is not the purpose of Transforming Lives.

There are times when some mentors have chosen to gift to their partners (birthdays, for example). And as time goes on, there are those who choose to support their partners in some financial capacity. Again, this is all at your own discretion, but please do not do so early on.

If they need writing instruments, we will happily provide those, just ask if they have a preference on loose leaf paper, journal type etc.

Sending a completed journal can cost approximately $10 for your writing partner. If they ask for help with that, Transforming Lives will navigate that process for you.

If you are paired with a new mentee and have not gotten a response from your first letter after a few weeks, try writing again to check in. Ask if they are still interested in the program etc.

If you do not hear back, you may contact them via JPay if you are comfortable and already have an account

If you don’t hear back after 2-3 attempts at communication, contact us and we will pair you with a new mentee.

If you would like to send your writing partner a book, you may do so at your discretion.

A lot of people find it nice to read a book together, or send one that they feel might inspire their writing partner. Do not offer this in your introduction letter.

Prisons only accept packages that are delivered by USPS.
Amazon sometimes outsources their shipping, though it is usually not an issue. Bookshop.org is also a good resource.

Please note that incarcerated individuals may only receive 2 packages from home a year. Unless otherwise instructed by your mentee, you must send it to them directly through an online vendor.

If your writing partner knows someone interested in Transforming Lives, please have them send the DIN# and name of that person and we will reach out when we have a mentor available for them.

Please click on this link to fill out an invoice.

If your invoice is for an amount over $200, please contact transforminglivesnycontact@gmail.com prior to filling out the form

We will reimburse you for the following items:
Letters, Stamps, PO Boxes, Journals you send to your mentee, pens you send to your mentee, and visitation related costs. If you have any further questions about reimbursement, contact the email above.