Day in Prison

www.bop.gov/ The Federal Bureau of Prisons website will be invaluable to family members. Here is where you find out your inmate’s identification number, what prison he is in, how to contact or visit him, links to policies and procedures, links to forms you might need, resources for the inmate, reentry information, links for filing a complaint, and administrative contact information.

forwardtogether.org/ Forward Together is a multiracial organization that works with community leaders and organizations to transform culture and policy to catalyze social change. The mission is to ensure that women, youth, and families have the power and resources they need to reach their full potential. By developing strong leaders, building networks across communities, and implementing innovative campaigns, they are making our mission a reality.

strongfamiliesmovement.org Their vision is that every family has the rights, recognition, and resources it needs to thrive. They are engaging hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals in their work to get there.

nrccfi.camden.rutgers.edu NRCCFI is the oldest and largest organization in the United States focused on children and families of the incarcerated and programs that serve them. They work toward disseminating accurate and relevant information; guiding the development of family strengthening policy and practice; training, preparing, and inspiring those working in the field; and including the families in defining the issues and designing solutions.

www.childrensdefense.org The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly for more than forty years to ensure a level playing field for all children. They champion policies and programs that lift children out of poverty; protect them from abuse and neglect; and ensure their access to health care, quality education, and a moral and spiritual foundation. Supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations, CDF advocates nationwide on behalf of children to ensure children are always a priority.

www.hopehousedc.org Hope House works to create programs that strengthen ties between fathers who are incarcerated in prisons far from home and their families; to advocate for and raise the level of awareness of the general public about inmates and their families and their concerns; to create programs for the children and families of DC prisoners.

Hope House offers programs to prisoners and their families aimed at decreasing recidivism and keeping incarcerated men connected to the community. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that prisoners who remain in contact with their families while incarcerated have a lower recidivism rate.

www.childrenofinmates.org The staff and collaboration of eleven faith-based and professional agencies offer wraparound care coordination services and opportunities to strengthen familial bonds for hundreds of these children, from birth to the age of eighteen, at any given time.

They help this underserved population by using a systematic process to receive referrals of children needing assistance from the community, local law enforcement, jails, and state prisons.

Proactively locating hard-to-find children to ensure they are safe and with a responsible adult caregiver; establishing community-based Care Centers with dedicated staff available to respond to crises facing children and provide them wraparound care coordination by leveraging existing community partnerships and resources; offering counseling and mentoring services to children to reduce their risks for antisocial behaviors, facilitate their stabilization, and improve their developmental progresses; creating opportunities to strengthen bonds between children and their incarcerated parents through quarterly bonding trips to state correctional institutions throughout the state, jail bonding visits, and regular video conferencing; and raising community awareness about the consequences of parental incarceration on children, while concurrently debunking the stigma associated with having an incarcerated parent.

www.ndmva.org The Children of Incarcerated Parents Mentoring is a national program that was established in 1992. Notre Dame—AmeriCorps’s CHIP program provides one-on-one mentoring for children affected by parental incarceration. NDA also partners with area schools and social service agencies to provide educational support for youth and adults.

http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/our_partners/initiatives/gsbb.asp Girl Scouts Beyond Bars is a national program established in 1992. The goals of the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (GSBB) program are to lessen the impact of parental separation due to incarceration, to foster the personal and social development of girls and their mothers, and to provide girls with the opportunity to participate with their parents in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Parents and their daughters take an active leadership role in the planning and implementation of Girl Scout program activities and also participate in facilitated discussions about family life, conflict resolution, and the prevention of violence and drug abuse. After release, parents and daughters can continue to participate in troop meetings in their communities, making Girl Scouting a consistent presence in their lives.