Letters to the Editor	Letters Archive

Prisoner info on-line

Based upon the number of Malebox Personals from prisoners, I decided to spend this evening looking at Department of Corrections web sites. And more specifically, at the prisoners detail sheets. Many of the ads are misleading, such as age "22" was actually 40, or "soon to be released" was in for life.

For those thinking of writing a prisoner, it would be very wise to go to Google and do a search for that prisoner's State Department of Corrections, or more simply type in the state name and corrections. There is a wealth of information on each prisoner and often a photo as well. Usually it is as simple as typing in the prisoners ID number.

View our poll archive

It might even be a good idea for The Guide to suggest this in a little blurb in the Malebox Personals pages. Hopefully this information will protect readers that respond to such ads from being scammed.

Andy Kramek
azk3@juno.com

Thanks for the suggestions. We have frequently pointed out to readers that many states maintain on-line info about prisoners, so that it is often easier to verify that an incarcerated Romeo is really tall, dark, and handsome than it is to check up on a non-con writing you all the sweet words you want to read. While prison websites can help weed out some braggarts and liars (though keep in mind, none seem to document penis size...), some caution is warranted: state agencies have been known to make clerical errors themselves-- plus, some optimistic inmates may be genuinely convinced that an appeal will have them free next year despite their life sentence.

Snoop-and-pry websites about prisoners are accessible for free, but pay sites will garner much of the same information about even those not imprisoned. If one were to check up on the age, waistline, or bank account claims of non-incarcerated personals advertisers, no doubt many "discrepancies" would be revealed. Should we direct readers to these sites to check up on would-be paramours outside prison?

Instead, we let readers assign whatever import they choose to an advertiser's incarceration status and investigate as they wish.

Prisoner comes clean

I have received your letter of advice about changing my ad. I'd like to thank you with the utmost respect, but let me first enlighten you on the situation. I am a black male, not white as I said in my last ad in '98. And I got burned for my lies. I got hooked up with someone through my ad, and I got in trouble for lying. So this time I'm the real E[.] B[.], black, one hundred percent gay top, 6'1 1/2", 22, birthday 3-19-'79. Furthermore, at this time Internal Affairs here wouldn't have let my money or ad go out, period, unless I told the truth. So would you be kind enough to place my ad as it is written?

E[.] B[.]
a prison somewhere in America

Wants 'spicier' destinations covered

Please try to add some variety to the sites that you represent. I realize that ads pay for your magazine, but so do subscriptions! Perhaps you could add guest articles from your many readers in "far out" locations to add spice to the magazine.

I really enjoy the articles, seriously, more than the repetitious bunk in the tourist sections. Your articles are anything but vanilla in their political approach. How about some spice in the travel pieces?

Louis Potter
Palm Springs, California