Washington

In recognizing the impact of parental incarceration on children in the United States, legislators are listening to those directly impacted by incarceration in order to find solutions to prevent the separation of children from their parents. SB 394, the Primary Caregiver Pretrial Diversion Act, is a new bill signed into law on October 8, 2019 by Governor Gavin Newson and sponsored by Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley. The new law will give counties the option to establish a pretrial diversion program for parents and caregivers charged with a misdemeanor or a nonserious, nonviolent felony who:  Read more »

“It is time for bold ideas. It is time to achieve the change we desperately need: a fundamental transformation and reorientation of the criminal-legal system” –The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

This September, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Civil Rights Corps. Put out a new platform paper “Vision for Justice 2020 and Beyond: A New Paradigm for Public Safety.” The platform calls upon us to address the root causes leading to our high rates of incarceration and the denial of equal rights to millions. By recognizing that the history of our criminal justice system is rooted in racial and economic oppression from slavery, the black codes, convict leasing, Jim Crow laws to the war on drugs, the platform lays out a vision for public safety that is grounded in human rights and upholds the humanity and dignity of all people. The platform is divided into three parts with 14 “planks” calling for change: Read more »

Hello my name is D.G. I am 10 yars old, I am a child experiencing a father in prison. My dad won't be able to expeience me growing up. There are times when I get really sad and want to call him but I can't. I've only got to see him 2 time in the last 4 years. thats because he's so far away. There are times when Ihave special events (for example: my first kick boxing match) when I won and I was sooo happy and at the same time I felt a little sad. I spent most my life without my dad. But also I spent most of my life with a sstep dad. Special holidays are hard for me (for example: Christmas, fathers day, my birth-day) because he's not there. When my Dad calls me at my aunt's house I get super excited. [And I want to say for the other kids out there your not alone iether its your dad mom or other family members or other people that you care about theres other people going thrue this. Even tho my dad cant come home early I woul dhope that other kids parents could come home faster there would be lots of benifit for each child. Please support this bill. Thank you Read more »

Two years ago, Patricia Allard and I wrote a Huffington Post blog highlighting a video of 8-year-old D.G's wish for her father’s transfer from a federal prison in Texas to one in Oregon. It seemed like it would take a miracle, but with the help of her community he was transferred last year. D.G. still can’t even think of the ultimate miracle— having her dad come home. 

This year I had the opportunity to chat with D.G. now 10-years-old about her thoughts on her dad’s incarceration, her most recent visit, and some advice for young people in her situation. You can listen to the interview here.