7 Ways to Support Family and Friends in Prison
- Tyler S
- Jul 29
- 4 min read
When someone you love is incarcerated, it can be difficult to know how to support and encourage them during their time in prison. But learning how to support family and friends in prison can make a meaningful difference in their emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being.
Incarceration affects more than just the individual serving time. It impacts parents, spouses, children, and their entire support system on the outside. And while you may not be able to change their circumstances overnight, small acts of kindness and encouragement can remind them that they are not forgotten.
If someone you love is incarcerated, here are seven meaningful ways you can support them during their time in prison.
1. Provide Financial Support
This may come as a shock to some people, but incarcerated people still need money for everyday necessities while they are in prison. State and federal prisons provide basic needs such as shelter and food, but many daily essentials must still be purchased separately through the prison commissary system.
Items like soap, toothpaste, deodorant, paper, envelopes, stamps, and supplemental food are often not fully provided. Even small amounts of financial support can help someone maintain dignity and stay connected with loved ones while incarcerated.
For many inmates, support from family and friends helps bridge the gap between basic survival and feeling cared for as a person.
2. Stay in Touch
It’s important to remember that your friend or family member is largely cut off from everyday life while they are in prison. They do not experience family dinners, holidays, birthdays, or life updates the way everyone else does. Many rely heavily on phone calls, messages, and visits to stay connected to the outside world.
Even when conversations feel awkward at first, consistency matters. Pick up the phone when they call, even if it’s a bad time for you. It tells your loved one that you still think they matter. And while speaking with them, do so with mercy, patience, and kindness. Encouragement can go a long way in helping someone push through loneliness, hopelessness, or regret.
3. Write Letters
Phone calls and emails are meaningful, but handwritten letters offer something different. For someone in prison, receiving mail might be the most encouraging part of their week.
That's because a letter shows intentionality. It tells the recipient that someone took the time to sit down, write, address an envelope, and send it.
A handwritten letter is something tangible that can be read and re-read over time. Because letters are often held onto, it's important that your words carry a positive and encouraging tone.
Share good news. Talk about everyday life. Include Bible verses, prayers, or reminders of hope and forgiveness. Simple words of encouragement can have a lasting impact.
4. Pay Them a Visit
Visitation can be one of the most meaningful ways to support someone in prison. Seeing a familiar face reminds incarcerated individuals that they are still loved and remembered despite their circumstances.
Visits also provide something deeper than conversation alone. They restore a sense of human connection that can be difficult to maintain while incarcerated. And borrowing the same idea from writing letters, it shows them that you made an effort to visit them.
For many people, prison visitation can feel intimidating or difficult at first. But taking the time to show up in person can communicate care and support in a powerful way.
Before planning a visit, review the visitation guidelines for the Arizona Department of Corrections or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
5. Encourage Spiritual Growth
One of the greatest sources of hope for many incarcerated people is spiritual growth and faith in Jesus Christ. Prison can become a place where people begin reflecting deeply on their lives, relationships, and future.
Encouraging your loved one spiritually can remind them that their identity is not defined by their worst mistakes.
Here are ways you can support their spiritual growth:
Sending Scripture or devotional material
Sharing encouraging Bible verses in letters
Praying for and with them
Encouraging participation in Bible studies or chapel services
Reminding them that redemption and transformation are possible
At Along Side Ministries, we have seen firsthand how faith, encouragement, and consistent support can help restore hope to incarcerated men and women.
6. Support Their Family on the Outside
When someone goes to prison, the emotional and financial burden often extends to their family as well. Spouses, parents, grandparents, and children frequently carry stress, loneliness, confusion, and uncertainty.
Supporting incarcerated loved ones also means caring for the people connected to them.
Sometimes practical help can make a meaningful difference:
Offering transportation for prison visits
Helping with meals or groceries
Watching children during appointments
Checking in regularly with family members
Offering prayer and emotional encouragement
Small acts of compassion remind families that they do not have to carry their burdens alone.
7. Remind Them They Have Not Been Forgotten
One of the hardest parts of incarceration is the feeling of being forgotten by the outside world. Over time, communication can become less frequent, relationships may drift apart, and isolation can begin to take a heavy emotional toll, which is why consistency matters so much.
Answer when they call. Send them a letter. Visit on their birthday and holidays. These moments may seem small to you, but they can mean everything to someone behind bars.
Supporting someone in prison does not mean excusing poor choices or ignoring accountability. It means recognizing their humanity and reminding them that hope, forgiveness, and restoration are still possible.
For those who feel led to take a more active role in that kind of support, there are opportunities to give or serve through Along Side Ministries, either by making a donation or exploring ways to volunteer. No one should feel forgotten.
This article was adapted from content originally published by Kulp & Elliott Attorneys at Law and is used with permission.
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