Our new matching app is designed to help you find a thoughtful, appropriate match while making the process clearer and easier to complete.

Please read all the information below before starting your application:

• If you have adopted through Adopt An Inmate before, we'll ask whether you are still in contact with your previous adoptee(s). If you are no longer in contact, you'll have an opportunity to explain why. Some relationships end naturally—for example, because someone was released or both people agreed to stop corresponding. Simply losing touch without explanation may affect eligibility for another match.
• Use an email address you expect to keep and check regularly. Your account and application are connected to that email address.
• You will request one match at a time. New adopters are initially matched with one incarcerated person.
• You must wait at least six months before requesting another match. This gives you time to build and maintain a consistent connection before adding a second adoptee.
• Adopters may have up to two active adoptees at a time.
• Your written responses matter. Please take your time and answer thoughtfully. The more detail you share in "What's your story?"—about who you are, your interests, experiences, personality, and what you hope for in a connection—the better we can identify someone who may be a genuinely compatible match.
• After submitting your responses, the app will show you a small group of potential matches based on your preferences and written text. You'll be asked to rank those matches in order of preference.
• User-editable profile fields are:
  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • State
  • Veteran status
  Please contact us if you need to change your email address.
• Once you submit your request, you will not be able to go back and change your responses or generate a new set of matches, so please review everything carefully before submitting.
• You may leave the application before finishing and return later to complete it.
• Submitting your choices does not automatically finalize an adoption. Adopt An Inmate reviews each request and confirms current custody and facility information before completing the match.

Our goal is not simply to make a quick match. We want to help create connections that have the best chance of becoming consistent, meaningful, and supportive over time.

When you're ready, use the link below to begin.