Advertise with PenPalsOnly

Reach the families of people in prison, and the people coming home

Self-serve sponsor ads from $29 a month. Upload your banner, pay online, and go live after a quick review. No contracts, no agency.

Book an adDownload the media kit (PDF)
No. 1

Packages and prices

Launch rates. Save 10% on 3 months and 20% on 6 months.

State Sponsor

$29/month

Top of one state's Find an Inmate page, right under the official inmate locator links.

Best for: Local defense attorneys, bail bonds, and reentry programs in that state.

Choose

Fresh Start Sponsor

$49/month

The Fresh Start reentry hub that people coming home use to find jobs, housing, ID and legal help.

Best for: Reentry programs, fair-chance employers, job training, record sealing.

Choose

Site-wide Sponsor

$79/month

Browse page (between pen pal profiles) and the bottom of every pen pal profile.

Best for: Inmate phone, photo, package and money services; national firms.

Choose

Sponsored Social Post

$35/post

One post on the PenPalsOnly Facebook Page and TikTok, labeled as sponsored.

Best for: Launches, promotions and events.

Choose
No. 2

How it works

  1. I

    Pick a spot

    Choose a package, and a state if you want local families.

  2. II

    Upload your ad

    Your banner or logo, a headline, a short message and your link. See a live preview.

  3. III

    Pay online

    Secure card payment through Stripe. No contracts.

  4. IV

    Go live

    We review within 1 business day. Approved ads start right away; if not approved, you're refunded in full.

Every click on your ad is counted. Reply to your approval email any time to ask how it's doing.

Audience

Who visits

  • Families and friends. People writing to, visiting and supporting someone in prison or jail.
  • People coming home. Readers of our Fresh Start reentry guides: jobs, housing, ID, record sealing.
  • Searchers in all 50 states. Visitors using our state-by-state inmate search pages to find someone.

Advertisers

A good fit for

  • Criminal defense and appeals attorneys
  • Bail bonds
  • Reentry programs, halfway houses and sober living
  • Inmate phone, photo, package and money services
  • Fair-chance employers and job training
  • Legal aid, record sealing and expungement services

Performance deals

Rather pay for results?

We also do performance deals: you pay per click, per call or per sign-up instead of a flat monthly fee. Tell us what a customer is worth to you and what you'd pay, and we'll work out a tracking link together.

Propose a deal

Before you book

Ad policy

  • Every ad is reviewed before it runs and is labeled “Sponsored.”
  • We don't accept ads that promise early release or guaranteed results, ask families to send money to someone inside, or are misleading, sexual, hateful or illegal.
  • If we can't approve your ad, you get a full refund. Once an ad is live, the run isn't refundable.
  • Runs start the day your ad is approved. A month is 30 days.
  • We may place your ad on a similar page if a page is removed or renamed.

Questions first? Contact us about advertising.