1. A link is provided on our homepage titled “Locate Prisoners”. It provides a complete list of each state’s official Department of Corrections website as well as a direct link to the state's online inmate locator, if applicable.  We also provide a link to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website with a direct link to the Federal Online Inmate locator.  In addition, we provide a list of tips to help viewers locate inmates through these sites.  
   Reference:  Locate Prisoners
   
   
2. We provide the following link on our homepage titled “Detecting & Reporting Fraud.” It lists the most commonly known postal scams, and it provides a link directly to the United States Report Postal Fraud form.
   Reference:  Detecting & Reporting Fraud
   
   
3. Inmates are expressly forbidden from mentioning anyone by name in their profiles, referencing victims, conducting business, or placing profiles with adult content. All profiles are regulated and edited if necessary before being placed online.
   
   
4. We provide a "Fraud Affidavit" to report fraudulent content, and we take immediate steps to enforce our policy of banning any inmate who attempts to defraud the public from participating in our services.
   Reference:  Fraud Affidavit
   
   
5. Any inmate found misusing our service or violating our Terms of Service is blacklisted from our site and entered into a database that prevents him/her from ever placing another profile on our site. 
   
   
6. Our Frequently Asked Questions page contains the following questions and answers listed below. The FAQ page is accessible from every page on WriteAPrisoner.com.
   Reference: FAQs
   

   5) How can I find out more about the prisoner I am corresponding with?
   You can write to the same address as the prisoner's. Just put "Prison Administration" in place of the prisoner's name. Include a letter that explains your inquiry. You can also check by visiting the State Prison Links and Federal Prison Addresses and Contact Numbers if you wish to write via e-mail.
   (Listed under General Questions about WriteAPrisoner.com)

   8) An inmate I am writing to has asked for money. Do you have any suggestions?
   Institutions provide all basic necessities to inmates (e.g., food, clothing). In many cases, even educational programs and materials are free to inmates. Donating money is a decision that can only be made by you. Remember that you chose to write to an inmate, not sponsor one. You are not obligated to send money, nor do most inmates ask for money. If this makes you feel at all uncomfortable, don't do it. If the inmate is requesting a donation for something that seems unusual, please contact us before sending money and we will address any concerns you have. A few dollars can go far in prison, but you should never send large sums of money under any circumstances, nor should you ever send cash. Many pen-pals will send $10.00 or so on birthdays or holidays to the inmate they are writing. Inmates can use money in prison to purchase a variety of items including better quality hygiene products, art supplies, postage, phone cards, and food in some cases. They can also use money from their account to purchase magazine subscriptions and books. You can also ask any questions you might have on our forum. There you will find many seasoned pen-pals who are willing to share their experiences and make suggestions. The bottom line is, don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, and report anything that you suspect as unethical or illegal.  For more information on detecting and reporting possible scams, please visit: Detecting & Reporting Fraud.
   (Note: All inmates are required to disclose whether or not they are seeking donations. This is posted on every profile in order to provide you with the most complete information possible.)
   (Listed under Writing Inmates)

   9) Why do you post the inmates' crimes on their profile, and is this information verified?
   We post the crimes so that pen pals have full disclosure about the person they are writing. This information is supplied directly by the inmate. In some cases, the crime cannot be posted pending legal endeavors with the inmate’s case. However, this is very rare, and information can always be obtained by contacting the Department of Corrections directly.
   (Listed under General Questions about WriteAPrisoner.com)

   9) Why do you post so much information about mail fraud? Is this a common occurrence?
   No. In fact, fraud among our members has been almost non-existent. We provide this as a precaution and to help appease any concerns the Department of Corrections has about our service.
   (Listed under Placing Inmate Profiles on WriteAPrisoner.com)

   11) Can any inmate join WriteAPrisoner.com?
   We currently do not accept profiles from anyone under the age of 18. In most cases, we reject profiles from people convicted of sexual crimes against children, and select inmates of notoriety. WriteAPrisoner.com reserves the right to reject any profile. A full refund will be issued in this case.
   (Listed under Placing Inmate Profiles on WriteAPrisoner.com)

   17)   I believe that an inmate on your site is attempting to defraud the public by placing false information on his/her profile, or I know an inmate who has been taken advantage of by someone out here. What should I do?
   WriteAPrisoner.com has put together the following category to help report and understand scams: Report Mail Fraud
   (Listed under General Questions about WriteAPrisoner.com)
   

7. Every single inmate placing a profile on our website is required to list his or her crime with the profile. In addition to this, we provide a link to the Department of Corrections housing that particular inmate on the inmate’s personal webpage. Pen pals can then observe any precautionary measures that the state recommends prior to establishing correspondence with inmates. In fact, we encourage this, and that is why we have gone to such great lengths to provide so much information to the public.
   
   
8. We provide a form on every inmate’s personal webpage to report misconduct as well as technical problems. While it is rare that we have any reports of misuse of our service, we do this to appease the concerns of the public and the Department of Corrections. Our staff thoroughly researches all concerns and appropriate actions are taken when necessary.
   
   
9. We include the following message in our Welcome Packet, which is mailed to all inmates when they first begin to use our service:
   
   Mail Fraud/Postal Scams - Any member found deliberately misleading pen pals in order to extort money may face legal repercussions. Although problems have been all but non-existent with our members, there have been a few reports of inmates who have sought to deceive the public by providing false photos, lying about their sexual preferences, or by requesting donations under false pretenses, such as claiming to need money before being released, claiming to need money for non-existent educational services, etc. Anyone caught perpetrating fraud will have his or her profile removed, be blacklisted from WriteAPrisoner.com, be reported to the administration at his or her institution, and be subject to prosecution by federal authorities under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341 for mail fraud. We work hard to safeguard our reputation and yours. We provide detailed information regarding the possibility of fraud for our viewers at: http://writeaprisoner.com/fraud. Postal crimes/scams have also been perpetrated against some of our inmate members. If you are the victim of mail fraud, please contact us immediately and we will send you information about reporting the crime. Or, ask prison staff to visit the link above. You are also now in receipt of your profile printout. If you feel that there is any content which is incorrect or misleading, please contact us immediately so we can correct it.
   


10. We provide Public Forum Information for every state that allows users to ask questions and share region specific resources and/or information.
    Reference:  Regional Public Forum
    
    
11. We provide a screen tip next to the "Seeking Donations" option on every inmate's profile that outlines how money can be used in prison and warns viewers never to send large sums of money to an inmate.  We also instruct viewers to contact us prior to sending an inmate funds if the request seems unusual, unethical, or illegal.
    

Additional Precautions Regarding Minors