Do inmates befriend people that could be potential partners on the outside to get them to send money and stuff?

Yes, inmates absolutely will try to befriend people that they communicate with to do favors for them and more. Since there is so much idle time available, inmates become experts at manipulation but the person they are communicating with has to be complicit. As they say, "it takes two to tango". It starts out innocently like a pen pal relationship but it can grow into more than that, and oftentimes it does. Inmates have even married some of their suitors. The person on the outside has to use some common sense and not believe everything they hear, make sure to take things slowly and if you are going to send [magazines](https://www.inmateaid.com/shop/magazines), books or even money, stay in control and don't go broke trying make the inmate happy. They will survive with or without outside help, the institution sees to that.