LifeLines supports and befriends prisoners on Death Row in the United States, especially through letter writing. It was set up in 1988 in Cambridge and has since spread both nationally and to a number of other countries.

Although LifeLines has 1,700 members there is a long waiting list of prisoners wanting a pen-friend. This includes prisoners who have just come on to Death Row and who often desperately need outside contact and support.

We ask people to join LifeLines before we can give them the name of a prisoner. Although the emphasis is very much on the individual relationship between pen friend and prisoner, and there is no obligation to play an active part in the organisation, many letter-writers feel somewhat isolated to begin with. They therefore value contact with others to share the difficulties and rewards of the correspondence. This they do through the LifeLines conferences, the quarterly newsletter and with other LifeLiners. There is also a team of experienced counsellors to whom letter-writers can turn for support. Above all, the information and support provided by the state coordinators is a particularly important aspect of the way LifeLines works.

But before you join we would urge you to examine carefully your reasons for wanting to write: we have found that some people decide to write to a Death Row inmate for reasons which do not take the prisoner's best interest into consideration. Some join looking for a bizarre sort of glamour: if you are looking for romance, we are not the organisation for you.

You may also find the guidance notes on writing to prisoners helpful in deciding whether it is right for you to write.

The organisation is run on a state basis, with a system of co-ordinators for each US state with the death penalty. The co-ordinators send new letter writers the name of a prisoner and provide help with practical matters. The co-ordinator can advise on what to do if the prisoner stops writing, how to send money, what sort of things may be sent, or how to go about visiting a prisoner.

LifeLines is not a political group. We are not actively involved in campaigning.

Visit the Lifelines site

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