I have a penpal on death row and only a couple of people know about it because I just can't be bothered with dealing with the reactions when I tell them.
How did you end up with a penpal in jail?
He made me laugh and he could tell stories that really got to me.
It is strange to have a penpal who is on death row but not wrong, but if you think people will misunderstand it is okay not to tell them. Maybe you could tell them if you explain your reasons.
I don't really want to explain myself. The whole point of me having a penpal is to vent and complain. The rest of the world won't understand how I feel.
If you are so sure that you want to keep the pen pal to yourself, then you do not need to tell people about it. It is none of their business who you write to.