My pp and I have been writing each other for several months now, and today I told him that if he ever wanted to call me and chat, he could and included my phone number. Do any of you think this was presumptuous of me? Should I have waited for him to ask to call? Also, I'd like to eventually visit him. Same question, is it improper to visit without invite or should I "just do it"? Thanks in advance for your help.

I don't think your being presumtuous at all! I think your pen-pal would love to hear your voice! To put a voice to the letter writing is awesome.
As far as visiting...You'll have to ask him about that. In most prisons the inmate has to send a vistitors application to you. So ask him! I'll just bet he'd love to send you one!

I think that you did the right thing - I wish I could afford to have my pen pals call me.

Thank you for your responses. Maybe I'm overly cautious about invading his space.
Italiagal, hang in there. You'll chat with one or all of them eventually. I'm sure they would like to talk to you too. Thanks again.

Jennifer

I agree. Giving him you number should be fine. But I personally would not visit without talking to him about it. For starters, it might make him uncomfortable. But also, some prisons require that you be listed on a visitation list in order to go see him. I don't know the rules at that prison but it was be very disappointing if you went there only to find out that you could not see him because you weren't on his visitation list. So definitely discuss it with him before you go.

Will

Yes, I've decided that I definitely won't attempt a visit without an invite from him.
I think I should look at it the same as visiting someone who isn't incarcerated. One should wait on an invitation, and once I thought about it, it's really no different with someone who is incarcerated. I was just being selfish. I really needed to think more on what he might prefer. I really appreciate the feedback that I've received. Thanks a lot.

TanCam, I seen in your post under first time penpal, that your pp is here in Arizona. If he is the one that you are planing to visit, you do need to fill out a visitation application and send it in and your pp has to place you on his visitation list also. After you send the application back, they will do a background check on you. The whole process can take up to 30 days. If you need any info on the process, please feel free to ask me, since I go to visit my husband every week here.

Thanks Blue. Yes, I would like to visit him at some point, I'm just waiting on an invite. I get the impression he has a lot of friends out here, so I may be waiting for something that isn't going to happen, but I appreciate the information nonetheless. I thought about it and I figured I probably would have to do something like that if I wanted to visit him. Thanks for the info though. I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me.

Jennifer

Tancam, you are very welcome. Even though your pp might have many friends, doesn't mean they actually go and visit. I see every week, how little people actually go and visit. And maybe instead of waiting for the invite, ask him how he would feel about you visiting him. He might not want to burden you with it or might be to afraid to be turned down.

You Know, I didn't even think of that! Okay, call me stupid. :-) You know the old saying about a Forest and trees....I will do that when I talk to him on the phone. Thanks.