Hi all...my subject line pretty much says it all. Anyway...I am not writing to any prison pen pal, but I check this board regularly and just imagine what it might be like to do so...not sure if I can ever do such a thing but who knows what the future holds...I currently live with my family and they would never allow me to write one, so it would have to be something that I could only do if I ever lived by myself again, like I used to. So right now I just imagine doing it. I already know that using a PO Box is an absolute must...but what about using a false name? I know I would not want to use my first real name and certainly never my real last name either...but if and only if it was perfectly legal to do that. So...does anybody know if it is 100% legal to use a fake name (first and last) when writing to a USA prisoner or would doing that be illegal? Thanks. Just curious.

Hi,

Welcome to WAP! I'm not sure about using a false name. But, you could always use your second name (if you have one)? I know of a woman writing to inmates who only uses her first name, no last name. Using your second name is not illegal...

Hi Zosja...thank you very much for the nice welcome...actually I have been here for a long time...since probably around the time the Susan Smith ad thing happened and this site got a lot of attention...but I had been looking at Prison Penpal sites for a long time before I discovered THIS particular (and wonderful) site...I knew about other sites but for some reason never knew about this one...and was glad to find it...first one I had ever seen which had a message board in it....I remember very cool people who used to be here who I don't see any longer...like Professor Dumbledorf and that beautiful blonde lady with the "big boofy" hair who used to post a lot who was in love with an inmate...and that nice young lady who loved Tweety Bird stuff like Tweety on beach towels who was also in love with an inmate...she had short dark hair and long nails...(HEY gals are you still out there???)...I wish I could remember their handles. ANYWAY...thanks for the advice but I am afraid I could not use my middle name either because it is too identifiable as it is not a common name at all...arrrgggggh.

WHY not be honest?

__________________
If you are compassionate in your approach to all tasks in life, believing that all "problems" contain valuable lessons, you will find peace of mind.
~Dr. Lee Jampolsky

Cuz if I gave out my real name a person could track me down or get one of his friends on the "outside" to track me down. I would be honest and tell the pen pal I am only using nicknames, names that are not really mine for obvious safety reasons...that way he knows what's going on and later could not accuse me of lying to him, and could decide right off the bat if he wants to write back to me that first time or not.

I can understand where you are comming from because I can be considered a little paranoid myself ( Everyone but me thinks im being paranoid, I call it safe)
I say use the false name if you want ( you will not get locked up for this I assure you)Heck Maybe you can just use your intranet name Shonnie? plus when you feel more comfortable with your pal you can always change your mind and use your real name.I think it is very wise of you to consider a po box, I have always thought that was the best bet. I have been a member of the board for about 2 yrs now ( have not been posting that long however) and sorry but I dont remember any of the people you mentioned ( they sound fun) X-ray do these people sound familier to you by chance?
Good luck Shonnie! Oh and by the way if you write a pal and get a box why would you have to live alone? Just wondering .

Hi Shonnie,
I live in a small town and I use a false name to keep anyone from tracking me down also. It isn't illegal to use that as long as you aren't doing it to beat someone out of money or perform some other criminal act.
I only have one problem with it. I am currently assisting someone, from outside the US, to send money orders to their PP. It has occured to me that if one of those money orders gets lost, I would have trouble providing ID to get a refund. Although, I do keep receipts, so maybe it wouldn't be a problem. I hope I never have to find out. :-)

__________________
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly.

Cowards are cruel, but the brave love mercy.

If you are worried about them tracking you down, or having a buddy track you down,

Then you shouldn't be writing them!

Prisoners have made mistakes, but they are real people also. Give them a chance.

Use a P.O. Box, your first intial, and if that's too scary, then DON'T WRITE THEM.

Texas Guy...why does it -have- to be that way, or no way at all? Why can't somebody (in my case, a vulnerable girl-I am a female with varied disabilities) be a friend to an inmate while still retaining safety and a level of privacy? Some of these people are secretly very dangerous and not the kind of people even a grown MAN would want getting his personal info., let alone a handicapped female. But it is hard to tell who is a danger and who is not. Once you give information out, you can never, -never- take it back again. They are not in prison for failure to return library books. I cannot be a friend to anybody unless I am willing to give up some anonymity?? Why is that? Why wouldn't some of them understand where I'm "coming from" when I would explain? If I insult them than they can simply choose not to write back. It isn't being paranoid, snobby, or overly-shy, in my book...it is a matter of putting safety first.

You are absolutely right, TexasGuy. My PP knows my real name, where I live and my phone number. I trust her implicitly. It's just the person in the next bunk, who may be looking over her shoulder, that I worry about. Heck! I'm not even sure that I would trust the CO that scans my mail. I have heard some weird stories about them too.

__________________
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly.

Cowards are cruel, but the brave love mercy.