Prison Pen Pal Podcast

Richard Strong was convicted of First-Degree Murder for the 2011 shooting of Ygnacio Bermudez, Jr., on the streets of Lansing, Michigan. Rick, who was sentenced to Life without Parole, claims he was wrongfully convicted of the murder and has polygraph test results to prove it. He admitted, however, that his past history of selling drugs and hanging around the wrong people contributed to his downfall, and he knew he "needed to just change everything." It was then that he made a conscious decision to stop thinking about himself and discover his God-given purpose: helping others. So for the past 14 years, incarcerated at the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility in Jackson, Michigan, Rick Strong has worked as a GED Tutor, a mentor to new inmates, and has received an Associate of Arts and and a Bachelor's Degree. In prison, Richard Strong says he is never alone, but always lonely. That's why he hopes to meet a pen pal who values honesty, kindness, and real conversation, and who believes that everyone deserves to be seen as more than just their mistakes. Read more about him at https://penpals.buzz/inmate/richard-strong

Robert, a PenPals.Buzz Super Fan, works as a caretaker in Illinois. After some personal experiences with friends and family members being arrested and incarcerated, he decided it was time for less judgment and more kindness. In addition to helping the free-world senior citizen residents as his place of employment, he felt a strong desire to help those behind the walls, too. That's when, about a year ago, he happened across PenPals.Buzz and began writing to male and female prison inmates around the country. (He did his homework and learned, from our podcast, how to avoid being manipulated and taken advantage of.) Robert shares his personal experiences writing to prisoners and talking to some on the phone. He feels he's doing God's work by offering a supportive ear to those who need it most. "Sometimes, it just takes a listener. People just wanna feel heard," he shares. Robert also offers helpful advice to others about what to do (and what not to do) when beginning a pen pal friendship with a prison inmate. Most important, he says, always remember to "come with confidence, because you are the boss."

In 1993, Marc Rosemond was convicted of 3 counts of murder and sentenced to Life in prison. Now, 33 years later, he calls the Prison Pen Pal Podcast from his cell at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill, New York. Desperate to find answers about why he committed such horrible crimes, Marc Rosemond (inmate #93A1985) shares how art, poetry, and music helped him work through his childhood trauma, find clarity, and transform his life into one of positivity and resiliency. In addition to helping him get through so many lonely days behind bars, music "actually helped others around me get through their day," he said. You'll even hear him playing and singing throughout the interview. In a way, the keyboard is his form of an "emotional support animal." He even named her Snowflake.

Matt Reynolds, Prison Inmate #2014486 at the Great Plains Correctional Center, is quite possibly the most interesting man in Oklahoma. This former Marine, paint salesman, and toy store manager most recently worked as a groundbreaking animal trainer and behaviorist with giraffes, rhinos, and even an albino monkey. Now serving a 20-year sentence, Matt joins us via prison telephone to talk about the types of pen pals he hopes to meet, to share some of his life stories, and to describe one of the more memorable surgeries he assisted on. Spoiler Alert: It may involve a giraffe vomiting into his mouth!

Thanksgiving in prison is a plate full of mixed emotions. On one hand, there's excitement with the special holiday meal (often including real turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie). It's a time for cellmates and friends to get together and create something unique and delcious, like Jovan Stewart's Famous Banana Pudding, Rachell House's Enchilada Bowls, or Angelina Omara's Vanilla Pancakes. But the Holiday also serves as a painful reminder of what these individuals don't have -- the chance to be surrounded (at least physically) by family and friends. The chance to be around kids, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, and childhood friends. The chance to share a meal with the people that mean the most to them. If they're lucky, they might get a phone call or a card or an email on their tablet as a reminder they haven't been forgotten. In this episode, we speak with some of the hundreds of inmates who called in to share their Thanksgiving stories, traditions, favorite foods, and who or what they're thankful for. It's an honest, raw, touching, heartwarming, sad, and sometimes humorous depiction of what Thanksgiving really means to someone incarcerated.

When Ryan Rice was growing up in Illinois, his parents let him do anything he wanted. Spoiled might be the word that comes to mind. The "freedom" he was granted as a young child ultimately sculpted him into a man with no direction, quitting most of the things he set his mind to...until, that is, he was sentenced to 35 years in a Dixon, Illinois prison. That's when things had to change. Tired of "going nowhere fast," Rice, a prison pen pal and member of PenPals.Buzz, shares why he made an "executive decision" about his life, and what that decision was. In the interview, we also discuss his over 60 tattoos, his love of women with accents, his propensity for telling corny dad jokes, and what he's seeking in a pen pal.

Prison Pen Pals, defined as prison inmates who write letters to people on the outside, may be incarcerated for doing really bad things, but they're STILL HUMAN. That's the belief of Salena in Indiana, a 22-year-old student (and soon to be school teacher) who has written over 30 prisoners in the past two years. "You think they're bad, but they're actually really sweet," Salena noted on this episode, adding that prison inmates (and her prison pen pals) are still human and still deserving of human interaction. Hear her entire story, including who her very first prison pen pal was, what got her started writing to inmates in 2023, and how she deals with the pen pals who ask her for money. Then, we speak with penpals.buzz member Angelina Omara, a female prison inmate convicted of two murders and currently seeking a pen pal companion. Finally, we briefly check in with federal prison inmate Victoria Guerrero, as she describes how prison conditions have worsened since the government shutdown.

As we celebrate Halloween today, we thought we'd invite inmates around the USA to join in on the fun, eat some candy, and share their traditions both in and out of prison. We wondered if they watch scary movies from the prison dayroom, if they make homemade goodies or buy homemade candy from other inmates, or even if they give candy away to trick-or-treating cellmates. So we asked male and female prison inmates to call PenPals.Buzz and share their stories on this extra spooky and fun bonus episode. First, we talk to PenPals.Buzz member and friend, Jason Kurtz, about his myriad Halloween experiences and traditions, and what he does from inside the prison walls to celebrate and enjoy the spirit of the holiday. Jason also shares some true real-life scary stories from his book, Secret Tales of the Supernatural, available now on Amazon. Then, Cheyenne Smith and Laura Wickham, both from a Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Florida, talk to Big Steve about their Halloween traditions, and what they can (and can't) do, while inside.

Over 25 years ago, just a few days after the turn of the millennium and the Y2K madness, Marvin Dearing was arrested, interrogated, and ultimately convicted of murder. But did he do it? New DNA evidence suggests not, but the judge is unwilling to revisit the case. Mr. Dearing, a member of PenPals.Buzz, now in his early 50s, has spent over a quarter-century (and more than half of his life) locked up in Ohio. He hopes that someone, somewhere -- maybe even Kim Kardashian -- will take another look at his case, the evidence, and his conviction. Later, we hear from Tyrone Brewer, Jr., a member of PenPals.Buzz and author of Poetry of an Inmate: Thoughts of a Prisoner, available at Amazon. Mr. Brewer bills himself as a loyal, funny, ambitious, passionate, goal-driven type of guy, who is seeking a female pen pal and lady friend to help him mentally escape the prison walls. Tired of the negative energy, Tyrone hopes for some good vibes in his life.

Prison Pen Pal David Bomber has been incarcerated for 15 years at Nottoway Correctional Center in Burkeville, Virginia, but there's so much more to his story. This blogger and artist once acted in the same movie with Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning -- War of the Worlds! During our interview, he shares fond memories of his brush with stardom. David, an avid blogger on both InmateBlogger.com and PenPals.Buzz, talks about his motivation behind his most popular blog entry, Herman. Also in this episode, we touched briefly on his criminal convictions, and on how he could be convicted of both Aggravated Malicious Wounding and 2nd Degree Murder, for the same stab wound. Double Jeopardy, perhaps? He thinks so and we think so. View his artwork, read his poetry and blogs, and check out his prison pen pal profile at https://penpals.buzz/inmate/david-bomber.

Jason Kurtz, an incarcerated author at the Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, has written four highly praised books: Secrets to Wealth, Secrets to Wisdom, Secrets to Wealth and Wisdom, and Secret Tales of the Supernatural. All are available as paperbacks or e-books at Amazon. We interview Jason Kurtz, a member of PenPals.Buzz, as he shares fascinating details about what it took to actually write and publish a book from his prison cell. He also shares excerpts from his books and talks about his motivation for writing them. Locked up for over ten years, Kurtz purchased and read hundreds of self-help, personal growth, and prosperity books from his prison bunkbed. He took notes on the most important parts of each book -- topics such as gratitude, dating, concentration, healthy eating, hypnosis, body language, self-esteem, wealth-building, lie detecting, and so much more. Due to his prison's limit of 25 publications allowed per Inmate, Kurtz took copious notes of the most important parts of each book so that he would still have the valuable information (even if the prison guards took the books away from him). A decade later, Jason Kurtz compiled all of this amazing information (without all of the fluff) into one all-encompassing book: Secrets to Wealth and Wisdom. He has done all the reading, and all the work, to make your personal growth journey easier and much more affordable. Pretty amazing, if you ask us, even for someone on the streets to accomplish. But to do all this from the confines of the Waupun Correctional Institution is, in our minds, incredible. His fourth book deviated from the Self-Help genre. Secret Tales of the Supernatural is a non-fiction account of terrifying events that the author experienced firsthand. All stories are 100% real and 100% frightening. In this episode, he'll share some of these supernatural experiences with Big Steve. We think you'll enjoy Jason's personality, charisma, and the tremendous effort he put forth in writing and publishing these books. When he speaks, you can tell he has a passion for helping others learn some of these beneficial concepts that helped him get through a decade behind bars. He also discusses his plans for his future, once released from prison, including becoming a stand-up comedian! We regret not asking him to tell us his favorite joke; perhaps we will in a follow-up episode. Learn more about him at https://penpals.buzz/inmate/jason-kurtz

It was Easter, 2020. PenPals.Buzz member Colby Brookman was driving home from dinner at his mother-in-law's house, where he had been drinking. His wife, J'lynne Stothers, was a passenger in the front seat. In the back were Colby and J'lynne's two infant daughters, Ariana and Ava, along with his 32-year-old brother-in-law, Matthew, who was autistic. Unaware he had made a wrong turn, Colby was trying to find a local radio station on the dial as he drove his 2004 GMC Sierra, too fast, down Grand Avenue in Oroville. He thought he was on a highway heading back toward Sacramento. It happened so fast. He heard his wife yelling his name, "Colby!!" When he glanced up from the radio, he knew he was about to crash. Afraid of rolling his truck, he continued straight. Seconds later, he, his car, and his entire family were submerged 32 feet underwater in a canal near Lake Oroville. His brother-in-law died at the scene. His two daughters died at the hospital the next day. J'lynne survived. Colby was arrested at the scene, after blowing a 0.12 blood alcohol level, just slightly over the legal limit in California. Today, Colby Brookman is five years into his 37 years to Life sentence at the Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California, a prison exclusively for inmates with "sensitive needs." He's housed with gang dropouts, police informants, sex offenders, and former law enforcement officers. When a man is convicted of killing two young children, he wouldn't fare too well in a general population prison, especially one in California. The life sentence sounds harsh, but the ultimate punishment, says Colby, is looking in the mirror each morning and knowing he, himself, was responsible for the death of his children. He was supposed to be their protector, and instead he drove them into a canal, to their death. We interview Colby about life with his daughters before the accident, what happened leading up to the crash, his alcoholism, his intense guilt and shame, and his coping techniques which help him get through each day in prison (including trying to make new pen pals and friends to communicate with through his incarceration). What might his daughters would say to him today, if they could speak from the grave? Would they forgive him? Would he ever want to marry and have kids again? What advice would he give to an alcoholic who continues to drive drunk (as he did almost every day)? He'll answer these, and so many other questions in this heartbreaking interview. Learn more about Colby Brookman on his PenPals.Buzz profile page

Annie Perry is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who often helps her therapy clients learn to manage grief. She's also a prison wife. Annie met her husband, Henry, nine years ago on a prison pen pal site called Friends Beyond the Wall. Today, their relationship is stronger than ever. Together, they formed a business called JailHouse Books, and have subsequently published over 90 books, including at least 75 activity books created specifically for incarcerated men and women. In addition to sudoku, word searches, crosswords, and a myriad of other challenging and fun puzzles, these books offer inmates strength, comfort, encouragement, and a sense of belonging. On this episode, Annie speaks in more depth about the books. She also shares valuable insights and suggestions, based on nearly a decade of experience, for other prison wives or partners navigating through their own prison relationships. "I'm not just a prison wife, I am Annie," she proclaims, stressing the importance of staying actively engaged in something meaningful (and unrelated) to her prison wife status. She recommends continuing to work on yourself and continuing to do the things you like to do without letting prison consume your identity. Annie and Henry have been together for nine years -- significantly longer than the vast majority of prison relationships. Their love story is yet another wonderful example of how a prison pen pal website can (and often will) lead to a successful and productive marriage. Find Annie Perry on TikTok @TeamPerry2016 or search JailHouse Books on Facebook for more information.

As a young boy, Christian LaFargo was introducted to the violent El Monte Flores EMF gang, affiliated with the Mexican Mafia, in Southern California. Forced to grow up with an incarcerated father, EMF was all he ever knew. "It's just the culture there," LaFargo said. Chris, better known in EMF as Bossy -- pled guilty to multiple charges, including attempted murder, and was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison. Now more than halfway through his sentence, this man, age 39, has done the unthinkable. He has completely transformed his attitude, his life, his behavior, and his future. No longer part of the EMF gang, LaFargo details his journey, his mental fortitude, his new-found faith, and the steps he has taken while incarcerated to create hope and redemption for himself and for others who might be growing up fatherless or going down the wrong path in life. LaFargo talks candidly with Big Steve about his belief that one's life doesn't have to be defined by his or her circumstances. His inspirational story is one of hope and redemption. Perhaps something he talks about can spark a change in someone, in or out of prison, who may be going through a rough time. If this man can turn his life around, it's proof that anyone can. Christian LaFargo's full pen pal profile can be viewed at https://penpals.buzz/inmate/christian-lafargo/

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 shared in this episode could make all the difference between a profile that gets zero responses (or hits, as they're called) or a profile that gets dozens of letters, emails, and messages each week. If you're locked up and listening to this episode from the comfort of your cell (on your tablet), we hope you'll take these suggestions to heart and start writing more successful profiles today. And for those in the free world who know someone in prison, we hope you'll take notes, and share this valuable information with them. You could even play the podcast for them over the phone, and let them take it all in! PenPals.Buzz office manager, Daisy, has typed and edited thousands of prison pen pal profiles from the PenPals.Buzz corporate headquarters in Anderson, CA. She knows what works, and more important, she knows what doesn't work. You'll hear several real examples, from actual profiles on our website, on what NOT to write and why. (Spoiler alert: It's never a good idea to upload a picture of yourself flipping off the camera -- at least not if you actually expect someone will want to be your pen pal!).

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 and mentions several topics which weren't discussed on the TV show, such as his negative experiences with his attorneys, what positive things he has gained from his time on Death Row, and what it was like growing up with what he says was an abusive, alcoholic father.Even though there were 1,000 pieces of evidence used against him at the trial, including Mary Tench's blood on the shoes found in his bedroom, and a video of him buying duct tape just before the murder, Jimmy proclaims his innocence, and suggests that he knows who the real killer was. We ask him what he'd like to say to the killer; his answer may surprise you. He also discusses his childhood, his hobbies prior to his arrest, his relationship with his girlfriend at the time of the murder, and why he thinks his sister, Jennifer Swain, turned on him. While he admits no involvement in the murder, there is one piece of the interview that our producers found chilling. When Big Steve asked Jimmy how he felt about the death penalty prior to his arrest, he replied, "if someone was convicted of what I did" (emphasis added) that he would be in favor of a death sentence for him. Was this just a slip of the tongue? Perhaps.Jimmy Tench then challenges some misconceptions about what life is like on death row. For instance, who would have thought that a death row inmate gets 8 hours a day outside of his cell? Time to play basketball, softball, or walk to the chow hall? Who would have thought they would have their own TVs? The idea of someone "rotting away on death row" seems far from the truth (at least at Ross Correctional in Chillicothe, Ohio).Finally, we speak with him about his involvement with pen pals and his profile on PenPals.Buzz. He shares his contact information and invites anyone, male or female, to write him. His full profile is posted at https://penpals.buzz/inmate/james-tench/

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 keep this short and sweet like me! Tally Ho Captain.At the time, nobody would have guessed that those 47 words sent via a prison pen pal website would, less than eight months later, lead to one of the greatest love stories of all time. In this heartfelt episode, Big Steve speaks candidly with Bianca as she tells her story of strength, passion, love, and determination, all with a positive attitude and a great sense of humor...or shall we say, humour? Hear about the letters, the emails, the phone calls, the proposal, the wedding, and even what her 14-year-old daughter thought of mommy falling in love with a prisoner. Picture Love During Lockup meets Love After Lockup meets 90 Day Fiancé, all in one exciting 45-minute episode. This is reality programming at its best!

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 in writing a pen pal. This is true crime at its best. Enjoy our two-minute trailer describing this groundbreaking podcast.

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 Facility (a prison disguised as a mental health hospital to get around due process laws) in St. Peter, for well over a decade. This place is a real dark stain on the community, yet Alfson copes with his captivity with incredible grace and a positive spirit. In this episode, we interview Benjamin Alverson by telephone and dig deep into his life -- his childhood, his upbringing, his family, his spirituality, his love of pets, his hobbies, and of course his artwork. What does he create? How does he create it? What is he allowed (or not allowed to buy)? Is he allowed to sell his pieces? Alfson is a PenPals.Buzz member, and in addition to sharing his artwork with the world, would love to make some new pen pals and friends. So download, stream, press play, whatever you do -- just listen to this episode and learn more about this fascinating man.

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 Kevin, author Inmate Intentions: The Truth About Inmate Scams and Prison Hustles. Kevin used to be a scammer from behind bars, but once he met his wife on a pen pal site, he decided to change his ways. Feeling bad about all the women he took advantage of in the past, he promises to atone for his ways and help others learn the red flags of inmate manipulation. Learn more about his miraculous transformation and hear what he feels is the biggest red flag to watch for when you're involved with a prison pen pal. "From money requests to fake emergencies, inmates use calculated tactics to get financial support. Learn how these scams work and how to protect yourself from being exploited. Protect Yourself Before It’s Too Late. Many people don’t realize they’re being manipulated until they’ve already lost money and trust. This book gives you the tools to stay ahead, recognize the signs, and make informed decisions."Kevin W.Z., Author of Inmate IntentionsLast but certainly not least, we'll hear the clinical perspective on why inmates seek free-world pen pals, and why people on the streets so willingly send money to inmates. Kesley Rogers, a licensed professional counselor from Tennessee, actually worked as a Mental Health Technician at a state prison. She has years of experience in her field, and a degree in Forensic Psychology. Learn more about Kesley at Denney-Counseling.com.Our hope, after hearing this episode, is that our listeners will be better prepared when entering a pen pal friendship or relationship. We hope people will understand that some (but not all) inmates are manipulative. And we hope, as Kesley Rogers would suggest, that we all start looking for our own "Why?" Perhaps then, and only then, will things start to make sense.