About Us
What We Do
We Connect People Outside Prison to People Inside Prison
Adopt An Inmate is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in Oregon.
AI accepts applications from people on the outside and matches them with people in prison with similar backgrounds and interests. People who adopt have compassion and an interest in prison reform. They are open to discovering the challenges that people in prison face. They are willing to provide support and mentorship to a person in prison.
Most of all, people who adopt understand that no one is defined solely by a past mistake.
For more information, see our FAQ.
If you like what we do, please tell others about us.
What We Don’t Do
We are not a dating site for inmates. We do not publish prisoner profiles for romantic connections. We are also not lawyers (please do not send us your legal work).
Our Mission
Adopt an Inmate invites society to treat people in prison as valuable members.
Each time an inmate is ‘adopted’, their voice is amplified, their family grows, and one connection at a time, we are made aware of how the criminal justice system treats the people it presumes to judge.
Adopt an Inmate provides education for both the incarcerated and their adopters, increasing the likelihood that the incarcerated will be prepared to enter the community and will be successful once they arrive.
Our Vision
We believe that by connecting people in prison with people outside of prison, the public will be educated about the conditions inside our prisons, many which defeat their stated purpose.
These one on one relationships will help inform and bring people into the discussion of what prisons could do to improve society. Because what they do now is shame, punish and mistreat people who enter into them.
♥ Send Us Some (Tax-deductible) Love ♥
Calling all Angels: Our work is especially critical now, as inmates are being denied visits and contact with loved ones, and most programming and educational opportunities have been shut down since the Spring of 2020. AI is a true labor of love, and everything we do comes out of our own pockets. Any help you can give is most appreciated.
