Each year, over 600,000 people in the US enter prison gates. Millions are incarcerated in a jail or prison, either at the local, state, or federal level. Does this mean that prisoners and people in a correctional facility should be denied, love? Of course not.
Legitimate dating sites aren’t illegal, even if they are specifically for people in prison. They can provide a safe space for prisoners and allow them to meet people who won’t judge them for what they did in the past. Those looking for love and even a romantic fling can find others with like mindsets on prison dating sites. These days there are so many free dating sites out there of course there is a niche for prison dating.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the top prison dating sites to help inmates and those who want to connect with them.
AdultFriendFinder
Think inmates can’t find love or companionship on AdultFriendFinder? Think again! Since 1996, this site has maintained a solid reputation of hooking singles up. While it’s completely free to join AdultFriendFinder with an email, you may want to become a paid member if you use it often enough. Also, you’ll enjoy a lot more benefits when you pay to become a member – advanced searches, unlimited messaging, a personality test, and more.
AdultFriendFinder is secure and gives you plenty of chances to find love, dates, or a sexy pen pal. The site provides unique filters that allow members to narrow down the matches. You can see the members online, VIP, new matches, and members near you.
While AdultFriendFinder is typically used for hookups, there are plenty of singles who have found love here. Prisoners will have good luck finding a partner if they are only looking for online dating, phone fun, or a pen pal. Pretty much anything goes on AFF, and it’s a great site to simply explore and pass some time.
Zoosk
It’s hard to believe that Zoosk started as a Facebook app in 2007. These days, it’s one of the most popular online dating services. While it’s not specifically for inmates, there are plenty on the site. Zoosk boasts more than 40 million users in more than 80 countries and can be accessed across multiple platforms, including the website, iOS and Android phone apps, and Facebook app.
Their trademarked "Behavioral Matchmaking" engine and algorithm delivers users better matches through their actions. In a nutshell, it takes into account who you’re liking, messaging, and winking at. This means that you don’t have to fill out a long questionnaire to find matches. They also have a feature that’s similar to Tinder that’s called Carousel — it’s a quick look at profiles.
The profiles on Zoosk are all verified, and the setup is incredibly simple. You can get a 1-month membership for $29.95 a month, a 3-month membership for $19.98 per month, or a 6-month membership for $12.49 per month. Zoosk has an impressive messaging system that makes it easy to communicate with other members.
eHarmony
eHarmony is one of the most trusting dating sites around; in fact, it claims to be the #1 trusted dating site and app in the world. With a solid reputation, it’s easy to find love on eHarmony. While it’s not exclusively a prison dating site, there are plenty of inmates on here, as well as non-inmates who want to connect with prisoners.
eHarmony’s free membership allows you to use the messaging feature. However, you can only see the list of matches and not who’s online. A 6-month membership costs $9.98 per month, while a year membership will cost $2.99 per month when you pay in full. eHarmony is so confident that you’ll have dating success on their site, they guarantee that if you’re not happy in 3 months, they’ll give you another 3 months for free.
Dating.com
Looking for a meaningful connection with someone in prison or while you’re in jail? Dating.com
boasts a huge user base, with around 73 million registered users in 32 countries. With unique communication tools, this is a great platform to get to know people in prison better.
It’s free to see member’s profiles, so you can check out singles and add them to your favorites. You can also learn about their interests and what they’re looking for for free. Sending messages or an email is also free, which is ideal for those who are incarcerated.
So when do you have to pay for this site? Well, to chat live with someone else, you’ll need to pay 1 credit per minute of chat. You can get 150 credits per month for 20 bucks, and other memberships cost more.
While Dating.com is a fairly old school site, some may appreciate its simplicity and easy-to-use interface. There are users from all walks of life, and prisoners can find others who are willing to accept them for their past. The only downside is that there are a lot of profiles to sift through, so have some patience when using Dating.com.
Meet-An-Inmate
SInce 1998, Meet-An-Inmate has been a trusted inmate pen pal site. They attribute their success to word-of-mouth advertising between inmates. It’s free for people to write to inmates on Meet An Inmate. However, it’s not free for prisoners. Inmates must buy a subscription to find pen pals. Once they sign up and pay, they can download photos, send and receive letters, receive emails, and even receive presents from people outside of prison.
Non-inmates can search for inmates, write and receive letters, and view ads for free.
When you find a prisoner you would like to correspond with, simply write directly to them using the mailing address listed under the photo in their ad. You can look up basic information on most of these male and female inmates by going to the inmate locator and clicking on the state in which they are listed.
While Meet An Inmate is more of a social network than a dating site, it’s a great way for prisoners to find single people who want to write to them. Making new friends is easy on this site, and some inmates do find love. The site clearly states that Meet An Inmate intends for users to make friends with prisoners. They state that letters from non-inmates can improve a prisoner's outlook on life and remind them that they truly deserve a second chance.
Loveaprisoner
Loveaprisoner is a prison dating site that takes a simple approach. With a 75% compatibility rating, this platform boasts a basic design and easy-to-use interface. When you’re browsing for dates online, there are lots of inmates to search through. It’s easy to make contact, and you can browse by prison location. Not only can non-inmates write to prisoners, but they can also send gifts.
Loveaprisoner focuses on old-school communication — writing letters and being pen pals is highly suggested on here. There is no free membership plan available. However, you can get a
membership for $25. There’s no personality test on the site, but there is a matching system.
According to Loveaprisoner, they help facilitate positive change in the prison system today. They genuinely want to provide these prisoners hope and friendship by sending a letter or two every couple of weeks letting them know that there is a better way to live their lives.
Inmate Mingle
Established in 1999, Inmate Mingle was formed to help prison pen-pals receive letters from free world pen-pals. The site is dedicated to providing a true connection to the outside world for those incarcerated by offering a space to cultivate pen pal relationships.
According to Inmate Mingle, an easy way to start a conversation is by looking at the birthday section of the site’s homepage. If someone catches your eye, you can strike up a conversation with them on their special day.
Inmate Mingles realizes that many non-inmates may feel weird about giving their address to an inmate, and the site offers a service that will mail letters for just a penny per letter. New users need to sign a disclaimer saying they understand the terms and are over eighteen.
From friendships, casual dating, and serious relationships, you’ll find what you’re looking for on Inmate Mingle. Inmates need to pay for a membership, but it’s free for those who want to be pen pals. And as a precaution, they exclude convicted sex offenders to be a part of their dating site, which is a good thing.
Wrapping Up
Prison can be a lonely place. This is especially true if offenders are far from family members and don’t get any visitors. Whether you’re a prisoner who’s looking for love, or you’re a single who is open to a relationship with someone in jail, the above sites can help you out. Whether you’re a single parent looking for companionship or someone incarcerated, relationships are out there. It’s possible to find love as an inmate — there are kind-hearted singles out there who are willing to give prisoners a second chance.
