Most of these people in prison have lost contact with their family and friends. They are locked in a very small cell 23 - 24 hours a day.
Privileges are non-existent and real contact with the outside world is almost nil.
You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own. You can become someone's link of communication on the other side of the wall. You can break down the bars and become a window to the outside world for someone who needs to know you care enough to write regularly. It does become a situation of receiving as well as giving. There is responsibility in writing to someone in prison, so consider the following very carefully.