Why We Write To Death Row Prisoners

These women have chosen convicted murderers as their pen pals. But what’s behind their letter writing?

- Clare O'Reilly

These women share an unusual hobby. They have full-time jobs, loving families – and pen pals awaiting execution. Type ‘death row pen pal’ into Google and you get almost 250,000 results for what is becoming a growing fascination for British women. For some it is simply a way to forge friendships, while others end up marrying their correspondents. Here, three women explain why they choose to write to men whose crimes are deemed so dangerous they are kept locked up for 23 hours a day as they await their fate…