Letter Writing Action Center
Photo: A letter writing gathering for Marissa Alexander, Fort Collins, CO, 2013
Letter Writing is Transformative
Isolation is central to the persistence of domestic violence, sexual violence, and incarceration.
Writing letters to criminalized survivors helps to dismantle this isolation, creating pathways for connection, collaboration, and coalition. Currently & formerly incarcerated survivors have stated again and again how important letters of support are to relationship building and their well-being.
Below, you’ll find the following:
Tips about principles and practices to write letters to survivors who are incarcerated.
A toolkit for organizing letter writing gatherings to reach more people.
Addresses for incarcerated survivors.
An opportunity to submit more addresses of incarcerated survivors to add to the list.
Principles for Writing to Survivors inside
best practices for writing letters
go big! organize letter-writing gatherings
Addresses for Incarcerated Survivors
Most of the addresses below have been provided by grassroots defense advocacy efforts. We have included links to more details when available. You can also download a complete list of all of the addresses below in one document.
California
Oct 2024: S&P California requests letters of love and support for incarcerated and non-incarcerated survivors who have been sexually assaulted in CA women’s prisons by prison guards, including those providing testimony in the 2024 Gregory Rodriguez trial. Please send letters to the following address:
California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP)
P.O. Box 291585
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Thank you!
___________________________________
The following instructions and list are separate from the above request.
To send individual letters of love and support to incarcerated survivors, please review the California Dept of Corrections mailing procedures here.
Arlene Dugmore
Arlene Dugmore (X00016)
CIW – 16756 Chino Corona Rd.
Corona, CA 92880-9508
Stacey Dyer
Stacey Dyer (X05475)
P.O. Box 1508
Chowchilla, CA 93610
Wendy Fong
Wendy Fong (WE7728)
P.O. Box 1508
Chowchilla, CA 93610
Kanoa Harris-Pendang
Kanoa Harris-Pendang (W84168)
P.O. Box 1508
Chowchilla, CA 93610
Janetta Leiva
Janetta Leiva (W57175)
CIW – 16756 Chino Corona Rd.
Corona, CA 92880-9508
Brandy Scott
Brandy Scott (WE0141)
P.O. Box 715071
Represa, CA 95671
People formerly on this list:
Christina Martinez: Thanks to community support, Christina has been commuted, paroled, and released!!! Please support her community support fund.
Gabriela Solano: UPDATE: Gabriela was granted clemency by Gov. Newsom, but we are enraged and heartbroken to report that, upon her release from prison on April 2nd, she was arrested by ICE and she is expected to be deported to Mexico. Update here. If you would like to write Gabby, you can submit a note here: bit.ly/DearGabby
illinois
Erika Ray
Erika Ray R85858
P.O. Box 1000
Lincoln, IL 62656
Vanessa Sanders
Vanessa Sanders 20151202251
P.O. Box 089002 DIV08-5H-D6-5
Chicago, IL 60608
Crystal Valdez
Crystal Valdez Y30029
P.O. Box 1000
Lincoln, IL 62656
People formerly on this list:
Sandra Brown is free, thank you to all who wrote to her and supported her freedom.
Tewkunzi Green received clemency in November 2020, and passed away in March 2022. Thank you to all who wrote to her and supported her freedom.
Pearl Tuma was granted clemency in September 2020, thank you to all who wrote to her and supported her freedom.
Alisha Walker was released in July 2021, thank you to all who wrote to her and supported her freedom.
south carolina
Jane Hughes
00375988
Leath Correctional
2809 Airport Rd.
Greenwood, SC 29649
Washington
Maddesyn D. George
C/O Spokane County Detention Services
1100 West Mallon Avenue
Spokane, WA 99260-0320
Georgia
Ky Peterson has been released! Thanks to all who wrote him and we wish Ky a very warm and happy homecoming.
Kenyota Peterson #1000961001
Pulaski State Prison (E6-A)
P.O.Box 839
Hawkinsville, GA 31036
Art by Micah Bazant
new york
To access addresses of survivors connected to the S&P New York Prison Visiting Team, please contact the team directly at survivepunishnyc@gmail.com.
tennessee
Shantonio Hunter (460409)
WTRC 9B-21
P.O. Box 1150
Henning, TN 38041
Alternative: bit.ly/writeshantonio
wisconsin
Chrystul Kizer has been released on bond!! Please send your letters in care of Black and Pink: Milwaukee and they will deliver them to Chrystul at her new location.
Black and Pink: Milwaukee
PO Box 12244
Milwaukee, WI 53212
In this clip of the video, Criminalized Survivors Panel at No Perfect Victims Convening 2017, Cherelle Baldwin reflects on the importance of receiving supportive letters while she was incarcerated.
#SocialBridging: Letterwriting as Freedom Work with Love & Protect, Rachel Caidor and Deana Lewis, October 28, 2020.
Contribute more addresses
Art by Natalie Bui
How Pen Pal Relationships Are a Lifeline for Those in Prison
Photos from Kelly Savage