The harms done by mass incarceration extend to every part of life, not least to the bonds between children and their parents. Most often, these parents and kids are people of color. As criminal justice reformers, between us, we’ve both spent a lot of time with parents and children caught up in the prison and juvenile justice systems. The following steps are actions you can take to be part of making life better for kids and parents most directly affected by mass incarceration.
Here are just a few of the many resources you can find online and offline:
Two good places to start: teen poetry collections at the Pongo Bookstore, documentaries by young adults who served time at Rikers Island (Youth Portraits, which includes rough language).
Start by reading and sharing Malia's Daddy And The Magical Mashed Potatoes And Gravy. Reading books like this to children or groups of students in classes can create space for fruitful discussion.
Restoring incarcerated citizens voting rights allows them to participate in their families lives politically by voting on issues that range from healthcare, school district decisions and elected local officials. Join this important movement!
