Monthly Archives: October 2013

My dad is incarcerated. It was life changing, even though I was an adult. My dad died while going to court after 33 days in jail. I would visit, but they only allowed my dad one visitor every Wednesday, so I took my mom.

The US prison system is broken and needs fixing. I do not have a family member behind bars, but if I did, I would visit, but many cannot. In New York State many incarcerated are sent to prisons upstate. These prisons are a 3 or 4 hour drive for some people, who don’t even drive or own a car.

I feel we are becoming the land of the prisons. I have a family member behind bars, I am his sister. His incarceration doesn’t impact me. I do not visit. It would have been too upsetting for both of us. He said it would remind him of home and he would feel more hopeless.

My brother has been sent to jail many times for petty crimes, but he is going to state prison in NJ for going to court drunk. His incarceration impacted me because he was living with me and it effects my family by arguing every day. I do not visit. He has had many chances to clean his life up. He would rather sit in state prison then clean up and stop drinking.

My mother was incarcerated. As a young child it just stops time. You don’t understand, and you don,t know what to do with all of your emotions. I would visit because she was my mommy and every girl needs their mommy.

I feel disappointed in the spirit of survival. It seems people give in to desperation rather than work for success. * I have family that are incarcerated. Most have at some point. I have visited, and I’ve told them I will not ever again. Too painful.     *In response to the following facts:   Did you know? One in every 28 adults were in prison, jail, or in probation or parole in PA in 2009 (Pew Report, 2009) There are more than 1.7 million children in the United Stated with an incarcerated parent including one in 15 African American children, one in 42 Hispanic children and one in 111 caucasian children. (The Sentencing Project 2009) Over half of incarcerated fathers reported that they were the primary source of financial support for their children prior to their incarceration. (Glaze and Maruschak Incarceration and the Family: A review of Research and Promising Approaches for Serving Fathers and Families, 2008)

My brother and dad are incarcerated. It impacts my daily routine all the time. I’m happy taking walks around the park and feel bad they cant too. I don’t visit, because prison is too scary to handle.

I have an uncle and a cousin that are incarcerated. It was a family outing to visit them on Sundays. I’m far more informed now.

These facts make me sad that children are growing up without positive role models. I wonder what we can do (if we will ever be able to) to stop people from becoming prisoners. I would visit an incarcerated family member of course. Family is family. It would be difficult, but I would try anyway.

It’s sad so many children don’t have their parents, but sometimes its for the better. There needs to be less luxuries in prison and less chances given to people who show no signs of correcting their lives. I do not have family in prison, but I work with a child advocacy agency.