Letters from the men and women inside, sample letters you can copy word for word, and prayers to send along with them.
What a few lines from a stranger actually means to someone in prison.
These will be shared here soon, with permission.
Start from one of these. Copy it, change the name, and put it in your own words — a short honest note is worth more than a perfect one.
Dear [Name],
My name is [Your first name]. I found your name through Emmanuel AD, a prison ministry, and I wanted to write and introduce myself.
I am not writing because I know anything about your case, and I am not going to ask. I am writing because I think everyone deserves to hear from someone, and because I would want a letter if I were where you are.
A little about me: I live in [state], I [work as / study / take care of my family], and lately I have been [something ordinary — a book you are reading, a project, the weather where you are]. Nothing dramatic. Just life.
If you would like to write back, I would be glad to hear from you. Tell me anything you want — what your days are like, what you are reading, what you would want someone on the outside to understand. And if you would rather not write back, that is all right too. I will still be praying for you.
Take care of yourself.
Sincerely, [Your first name]
Dear [Name],
I have been thinking about you this week, and I wanted you to know that.
I do not know everything you are carrying right now. But I know that being forgotten is its own kind of weight, and I want you to hear plainly: you are not forgotten. Not by me, and not by God.
Whatever brought you where you are, it is not the whole of who you are, and it is not the end of your story. People change. God is not finished with anyone.
I hope this week is a little lighter than the last. I hope you get some rest, and something decent to eat, and a moment of quiet. Small things count in there, I know.
I will keep praying for you by name.
Your friend, [Your first name]
Dear [Name],
Merry Christmas.
I know the holidays can be the hardest stretch of the year in there — everything outside gets loud and bright, and inside it can just make the distance louder. I did not want the day to pass without you hearing from someone.
Christmas is the day we remember that God did not stay at a safe distance from us. He came into the world in a stable, to people the world was not paying much attention to. Emmanuel — God with us. Not God watching from far off. God with us. That includes you, right where you are.
I hope you find a moment of real peace today, and something to be glad about.
Praying for you this Christmas, [Your first name]
Include one in your letter, or pray it for the person you are writing to.
Lord Jesus, you know what it is to be arrested, condemned, and led away. You know the sound of a door closing.
Be close to [Name] tonight. Where there is fear, give peace. Where there is shame, give the truth of who he is in your eyes. Where there is despair, give one reason to hope.
Guard his body and his mind. Give him rest, and someone to talk to, and the courage to keep going.
Remind him, and remind me, that no one is beyond the reach of your mercy.
Amen.
Holy Spirit, I do not know exactly what to say.
Give me words that are honest and kind. Keep me from writing anything that wounds, and from staying silent out of fear.
Let this letter carry something of your love into a place where it is hard to find. Let whoever reads it know that they were thought of, and prayed for, and not forgotten.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint Joseph Cafasso, you walked beside men the world had written off, and you refused to see them as anything less than souls worth saving.
Pray for the men and women in our prisons tonight — for the ones with no visits, no letters, and no one expecting them home.
Pray for those who write to them, that we would be faithful and not grow tired.
And pray for us all, that we would see Christ in the forgotten.
Amen.
Emmanuel AD is consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima and Saint Joseph Cafasso.
Most facilities accept plain letters and a few photos, but ban stickers, glitter, cash, and anything laminated. Our FAQ walks through the mail rules and how to address the envelope so your letter actually arrives.