Mail / Phone / Visits

Why Community Matters

One of the best ways to keep your head strong during prison is to maintain and build strong ties with society. Too often, people inside adopt the belief that the best way to serve time is to forget about the outside world and focus only on prison life. That advice is destructive.

At Prison Professors, we teach the opposite. Your mission is to come back to society with your dignity intact and opportunities to prosper. Strong community ties make that possible. They allow you to recalibrate, restore confidence, and rebuild a meaningful life after release.

Over 26 years in federal prison, I learned firsthand how strengthening community ties can transform a life. By staying connected, I earned college degrees, published books, built relationships with mentors from leading universities, met and married my wife Carole, and returned to society prepared to build businesses and lead a nonprofit devoted to prison reform.

None of this would have been possible if I had cut myself off from society. It happened because I stayed focused on nurturing family ties, building new relationships, and using every communication tool available—even when administrators tried to restrict them.

The Power of a Support Network

When you build a support network, opportunities follow. My ties with family kept me grounded and hopeful. Mentors who believed in me helped open doors to education and publishing. Carole’s unwavering commitment gave me strength through decades of confinement.

These relationships also paved the way for advocacy campaigns that positioned me for success after release. That’s why I tell everyone: your job is not only to maintain the ties you already have, but to expand them. Invite more people into your life who can support your journey.

Communication Tools in Prison

Prison creates obstacles, but every obstacle is an opportunity to practice being self-directed. Here are the main methods in prison for staying connected with society:

Mail

Mail is guaranteed by the Constitution, but it comes with limits.

• Regular mail: Always monitored, sometimes scanned before delivery. Expect staff to read everything you send and receive.
• Special or legal mail: Letters to attorneys, media, or members of Congress may receive additional protections, but only if clearly marked according to Bureau of Prisons regulations. Even then, you should assume staff will inspect envelopes.

The lesson: never write anything you wouldn’t want a government official to see. Use mail deliberately to nurture ties, build credibility, and keep your community informed.

Telephone

Phones are vital but limited.

• Today, people in prison receive more than 500 minutes per month.
• Calls are monitored unless specifically approved as legal calls.
• Securing an unmonitored legal call requires advance approval and persistence.

Because time is limited, use your phone minutes wisely. Don’t waste them on complaints. Use them to strengthen family ties, maintain professional connections, and prepare for life after release.

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Email

The federal prison email system is known as Trulincs inside and Corrlinks outside. It’s not as flexible as public email, but it works.

• Messages are routed through a central system.
• Delays are short compared to postal mail—delivery can take a few hours or less.
• Attachments and images are restricted.
• All messages are screened for security.

Technology continues to evolve. The Bureau of Prisons is testing tablets in some facilities, but wide access may not arrive until 2026 or later. Expect restrictions, but use the system strategically to stay connected.

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Visits

Nothing strengthens ties like a visit, but visits differ by security level:

• Minimum and low security: Contact visits are common, but physical affection is limited to brief greetings.
• Medium security: Visits may be shorter and more controlled.
• High security: Often behind glass or monitored by video.
• Common rules: Visitors must pass background checks, dress appropriately, and follow staff instructions.

Visits were lifelines for me. Carole visited every chance she could, and our visits kept me grounded. Those interactions reminded me of who I was and why I needed to stay focused on preparing for release.

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Discipline in Communication

Whatever method you use, discipline is key.

• Assume all communication is monitored.
• Teach your family and supporters to avoid discussing sensitive or inappropriate topics.
• Prepare visitors for dress codes and behavior standards to avoid losing privileges.
• Keep every interaction focused on positive, forward-looking goals.

The purpose of communication is not to complain about the pains of confinement. It is to use the tools you have—even if imperfect—to stay connected and build opportunities.

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Self-Direction in a Monitored World

Prison administrators may punitively revoke privileges, restrict visits, or limit your communication. Don’t let that stop you. Obstacles are predictable. Expect them—and plan to overcome them.

Being self-directed means:

• Adapting when tools are limited.
• Using mail, phones, and email consistently.
• Leveraging visits to strengthen family and professional ties.
• Creating resources that help others advocate for you.

This mindset carried me through 9,500 days in prison, and it will help you too.

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Create Resources to Help People Help You

Strong ties are important, but they become even more powerful when you give people tools to support you. Don’t just ask for help—show them why helping you matters.

That’s why we built the Profiles platform at PrisonProfessors.org. It allows you to create a record of growth and accountability that others can point to when advocating on your behalf.

Use it to document your:

• Biography — Share your life story and humanize yourself beyond the conviction.
• Journals — Record daily reflections, showing self-awareness and progress.
• Book Reports — Summarize books and courses to prove consistent study.
• Release Plan — Lay out a strategy for reentry, including housing, work, and community goals.
• Testimonials — Collect statements from people who recognize your growth.

By updating your Profile regularly, you give your supporters something concrete to share with judges, administrators, or employers.

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Free Resources for Support

At Prison Professors, we provide everything for free. I’ve promised three things:

1. I’ll never lie to you.
2. I’ll never ask you to do anything I didn’t do.
3. I’ll never charge you a penny for our educational content.

You can find lessons, articles, and guidance at PrisonProfessors.org.

For live interaction, join the free webinars hosted by my partner, Justin Paperny, at WhiteCollarAdvice.com/Nonprofit. These sessions allow you to ask questions, learn strategies, and connect with a community focused on preparation and advocacy.

Be the CEO of Your Life

Ultimately, success in prison comes down to mindset. Be the CEO of your life:

• Define what success looks like for you.
• Create a plan to reach it.
• Avoid disciplinary infractions that derail opportunities.
• Stay self-directed, even when administrators impose limits.
• Build relationships that will support your future.
  
  

Strong community ties don’t just make prison easier—they strengthen preparatons for a successful reentry.

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Key Takeaways

• Strong ties with society are essential to resilience in prison and opportunities after release.
• Mail, phones, email, and visits each offer ways to stay connected, even with restrictions.
• Discipline in communication protects your privileges and keeps interactions productive.
• Technology like tablets and Corrlinks expands options but remains monitored.
• Self-direction means adapting to obstacles rather than complaining about them.
• Create resources like Profiles to help others advocate for you.
• Use free tools at PrisonProfessors.org and webinars at WhiteCollarAdvice.com/Nonprofit.
• Be the CEO of your life: define success, avoid disciplinary problems, and prepare for the future.
  
  

Self-Directed Exercise

Write a one-page reflection and add it to your Profile:

1. Who are the most important people in your support network, and how will you stay connected to them?
   
   
2. How will you use mail, phone, email, and visits strategically while inside?
   
   
3. What steps will you take to create resources—like journals, reports, or a release plan—that make it easier for people to advocate for you?
   
   

By answering these questions and documenting them, you show that you are self-directed and committed to preparing for a successful return to society.

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