Stories of Children with Incarcerated Parents

"I think a lot of times, it is what we kind of touched on: something has to be out there. Almost like there has to be something that is going to be that beacon. Like draw people in that resonate with it. And most times, yeah, you probably can't really do that without a story without someone being willing to talk about it"

Anye, actress & writer

"I really want to go into public defense. And I like to think it is because you know...my dad…because I know that sometimes he had public defenders who were overworked, who didn't have enough time to spend on his case, he didn't feel like he was represented or heard. So just knowing that he felt like that and hearing his frustration over the years, really, you know, encouraged me to go down the path that I did."

Mick, law student

"He was released on October 8 and my birthday is October 5. I had a...16th birthday party, and I remember that they put him in this big box and they wrapped it up in Happy Birthday pink wrapping paper. It was huge. I have the picture still to this day. It was a huge box...I was like, 'What the hell are they buying me?'...I started unwrapping the gift. And my dad like pops out of the box as I'm unwrapping it and it was it was so emotional...he gave me his big tight hug and I had pictures of it and I was just so so excited to see my dad."

Da'Jauna, vice-president

"But I won't pretend that I didn't miss that role. I did. Frequently. I remember having Father's days when I would like be sitting in my...fourth grade classroom and wanting to cry because I knew that we would have activities like... 'Write a letter for your dad'... and I would cry because I didn't know where mine was ... Like I can't talk to him right now because he's gone. I can't give him these things. I can't celebrate with him. Because he is incarcerated."

Anonymous

"When it would be time to go, I just remember looking out the window and being really sad that we had such a good time, but now I was leaving and she was still in prison"

Anna, president

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