Prison Pen Pal Podcast

When a prison inmate spends their hard-earned money for a pen pal profile, it should be considered an investment -- into their lives, their happiness, and their future. But what actually makes a profile good or bad? In this episode, Big Steve and Daisy share proven tips and techniques to help incarcerated men and women write a profile that will catch a reader's attention and get results. The tips...

Jimmy Tench, convicted of murdering his mother, Mary Tench, and sentenced to Death Row in Ohio, recently appeared on Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks (Season 2, Episode 4: He Murdered My Mother). Now, Jimmy (or James Tench, as he's listed in the Ohio DOC) speaks to us from a telephone in his prison cell. During the interview, he goes into more depth about how he was portrayed on Evil Lives Here...

On the evening of July 17, 2024, Bianca, from the UK, was browsing inmate profiles on PenPals. Buzz and was attracted to Armon Irons, an American prisoner with tattooed hands. Minutes later, she sent him this email: Good evening Armon, Sending you lots of love from across the pond. Loved your profile. Never done this before. I am a virgin! If you would like me to write to you I can. Anyhow, I will...

The Prison Pen Pal Podcast explores all aspects of prison inmates and their pen pals. Thinking of writing a prisoner? Already have a loved one who is incarcerated? Curious about why someone would write a letter to an inmate? Or, maybe you just want to learn about an entirely new way of making friends. You'll hear from the host, Big Steve, as he helps to humanize inmates and demonstrates the value...

St. Peter, Minnesota boasts a plethora of sights: a beautiful arboretum, a Veteran's Memorial, the Paddlefish Brewing Company (with 12 homemade beers on tap) and last but not least, the prison artist known as Alfson. This artist, whose real name is Benjamin Alverson, can't really be considered a prison artist, as he is technically not in prison . He's been held captive in a Civil Commitment Facili...

For over 16 years, Andrew, a real-life 40-year-old virgin, has been sending money to male inmates, hoping to find love. We applaud him for being brave enough to share his story on the podcast. Hear how much money he has sent to prison inmates, why he feels he does what he does, how he deals with the heartbreak, and other personal details of his life story. Then, we speak via prison telephone with...

In the early morning hours of May 1, 2019, Paris Siripavaket (also known as Sirii) was involved in a traffic accident that would send her to prison for six years. Paris, a self-proclaimed "suburban cat mom," had worked a professional job in sales and had no clue what to do when she first walked into her Ohio prison. She wasn't even sure the proper way to make her prison bed. Paris had to figure it...

When most people hear that someone has proactively decided to write, befriend, or even date a prison inmate, they think it's weird, bizarre, or unhealthy. So many people, not accustomed to the prison pen pal world, will ask, "Why would you write an inmate? Why not find a friend (or partner) who ISN'T incarcerated?" This same question recently came up at one of Big Steve's therapy sessions. Why wou...

62-year-old Mark Huber is serving a lengthy sentence in Idaho for sex crimes he claims he didn't commit. "I am not freaking guilty," he loudly proclaims early on in this episode. According to Huber, the DNA used to convict him belonged to a Hispanic female. Then, we head slightly northwest to Aberdeen, Washington, where PenPals. Buzz member Rich Parenteau, convicted of murdering his mother and ste...

This holiday season, we celebrate myriad lifelong friendships and relationships which we have helped facilitate between incarcerated individuals and their free-world pen pals. In 2024 alone, PenPals. Buzz helped generate hundreds of long-term friendships and relationships, several engagements, and at least three marriages! On this final episode of the year, we interview Patrick and Melissa Cloud,...