Its an unlikely friendship, the long-serving prisoner and a regular mom but one that has brought me much encouragement and happy surprises along the way.

It all started in 1998, when I saw an advert for a penpal from a man imprisoned on death row in Trinidad. We started writing then and corresponded for several years until he moved prison and we sadly lost touch.

Since then I have had the privilege to correspond with men and women all over the world and it has never ceased to bless and encourage me.

In this world, so many things are taken for granted but entering the world of the prisoner brings a whole new light to things. A walk in the countryside, time spent with my children, a warm sunny day, the first spring flowers all have a new meaning when you realise that the only way a prisoner may often experience these things is by hearing of them in a letter. One of my penpal friends couldnt even see any trees from his cell or from the prison yard something its so easy to take for granted ourselves.

Appreciating the small things in life how often do we send an encouraging card to someone, how often do we make a phone call to see how someone is doing? So often we take for granted those who reach out to us in our times of need.

So, it is very humbling to realise that one brief letter or card can really make a difference in the life of someone who is feeling lonely and isolated in prison.

J Carter

Jen is a part-time church administrator, but also runs Hope Christian books, which offers free resources for those imprisoned around the world.