JustDialogue Spring 2022

a reflective journal about social action from JustDane

“As we left Bloomington heading for Dwight, the little girl looked at me and said, “The next town is Lexington,” and she was right. As we passed the exit to Lexington, she turned to me and said, “The next town is Chenoa,” and she was right. It then hit me that 12 months earlier, when her aunt had driven this little girl from Chicago to Bloomington, she had memorized the name of every town that stood between her and her mom, and now she was ticking them off in reverse order as we got closer to her mother."

THE IMPACT OF INCARCERATION ON FAMILIES

BY LINDA KETCHAM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

In June of 1994 I made my first trip to Dwight prison in Illinois, taking a little 9-year-old girl to visit her mom who was incarcerated there. Dwight offered a weekend camp to moms who had been “model inmates” – they could go camping on the prison grounds with their kids from Friday afternoon until Sunday. The little girl was living in Bloomington, IL with her grandma. She’d moved to Bloomington the previous year when her mom went to prison. Her little sister had remained living with an aunt in Chicago. It’s common for siblings who have an incarcerated mom to be separated from each other when the family’s relatives, or the foster care system, must find places for the children to live. As we left Bloomington heading for Dwight, the little girl looked at me and said, “The next town is Lexington,” and she was right. continued on next page

JUST THE FACTS Over 5 million kids in the US have had an incarcerated parent at some point in their lives.

Approximately 40% of incarcerated parents were living with their kids at the time of their incarceration.

50% of incarcerated parents are incarcerated for non-violent offenses.

Nearly 3 in 5 individuals in federal prison are parents with minor children.

People in state prisons are incarcerated on average 100 miles from their previous address.

JustDane's Family Connections is one of very few parent visiting programs in Wisconsin.

Data source: The United States Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections https://nicic.gov/parents-state-prisons

Spring 2022

JustDialogue • a reflective journal about social action from JustDane

As we passed the exit to Lexington, she turned to me and said, “The next town is Chenoa,” and she was right. It then hit me that 12 months earlier, when her aunt had driven this little girl from Chicago to Bloomington, she had memorized the name of every town that stood between her and her mom, and now she was ticking them off in reverse order as we got closer to her mother. That’s when I knew I’d be making a lot more trips to Dwight.

Our justice system seemingly cares little about the impact of incarceration on families. There is no systematic process to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of children when we send parents to prison. We ignore the fact that the children love their parents, that the parents love their children. We ignore research demonstrating that children who have an incarcerated parent often are thrust into (or deeper into) poverty. They experience trauma, grief and worry at the separation from their parent. They are more likely to face housing instability, and homelessness too. We ignore the research demonstrating that parents, especially moms, who maintain contact with their children have better post release outcomes.

In 1998 I relocated to Madison and found the Wisconsin Women’s Network Committee on Women in the Criminal Justice System. The group had received a small grant to develop an initiative to help incarcerated moms and their kids. We began to create our own Family Connections program and got assistance from MUM (now JustDane) to serve as our fiscal agent. We began taking volunteers and children to the Taycheedah women’s prison in 1999. In 2002 we added Reading Connections for incarcerated moms to read books, on video, to their kids. (We later included fathers at the men’s prison in Waupun.) The book, the video recording, and a letter from mom or dad are sent to the kids.

In 2004 we launched Mentoring Connections, offering community-based mentoring for children of incarcerated parents. In 2020, through a collaboration with Operation Fresh Start, we launched Drive to Succeed, to support justice-involved youth ages 17-21 by providing them with educational supports, mentoring, and driver’s license obtainment.

With the help of our volunteers and local support, for over two decades we have been able to help moms and dads in prison stay connected to their kids. We’ve supported children of incarcerated parents and their caregivers. We are now advocating against legislative proposals aimed at permanently severing the ties between incarcerated parents and their children. JustDane couldn’t do any of this without you.

JustDane • Changing Lives, Changing the Community

FAMILY CONNECTIONS

Helps maintain and strengthen relationships within families affected by incarceration Organizes monthly visits between imprisoned mothers at Taycheedah Correctional Institution and their children Volunteers supervise bus ride and provide lunches during visits

READING CONNECTIONS

Allows incarcerated parents to bond with their children through the power of reading Volunteers visit Taycheedah and Waupun Correctional Institutions to record incarcerated mothers and fathers reading a book of their choice aloud The book, video recording, and a letter from the parent is then mailed to the child

MENTORING CONNECTIONS

Envisions a community in which every youth experiences a nurturing one-to-one relationship with a caring adult from the community Serves youth aged 5-17 who are impacted by parental incarceration Mentor spends one-on-one time with youth participant every week for at least a year

DRIVE TO SUCCEED

Attempts to break the cycle of court-involvement by offering mentoring, educational support, and Driver License attainment through a cohort model Serves court-involved youth ages 17-21 without a diploma or driver's license A collaborative effort with Operation Fresh Start

A Statement from JustDane JustDane is proud to stand in strong opposition to Wisconsin Assembly Bill 627 which seeks to terminate parental rights based on parental incarceration. No law can sever a parent-child emotional connection.

AB627 is part of a package of bills (AB626-632) introduced to the Wisconsin Assembly on 10/21/21 by Representative Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc) and Senator Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville). AB627, born out of work being done by the Speaker’s Task Force on Adoption, aims to terminate the parental rights of anyone sentenced to at least four years in prison whose children have already been ruled a “Child in Need of Protection and/or Services” (CHIPS) case.

This bill is problematic for several reasons: The emotional connection a child has with their parents cannot be terminated. The interruption of the childparent relationship can increase the child's risk of criminal behavior and incarceration, psychological problems, antisocial behavior, and low educational attainment.

AB627 will have a disproportionate impact on families of color due to the systemic disparities in the criminal legal system.

Termination of parental rights (TPR) based on parental incarceration is a violation of due process rights guaranteed in the 14th amendment.

What can you do to help stop this bill? Call or email your representatives: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/

www.justdane.org

JustDialogue • a reflective journal about social action from JustDane

Mentoring Becomes a Sisterhood Q: Marie, how did you become involved with Mentoring Connections?

A: When I was 14 (I’m now 26) I got involved because my dad was incarcerated when I was 12 years old. My mom signed my brother and me up. I was matched very quickly with Helyn since we had so much in common. We’ve been mentor/mentee ever since – we call each other sisters.

Q: Helyn, how has Mentoring Connections affected you personally?

A: Marie has been there as much for me as anyone. She shared certain struggles with me that we had in common. Over the years, I had times where I was really not well, she would take care of me… reach out to me… make sure I wasn’t alone. I received as much from her as she did from me. It has become quite an equitable relationship. We’re friends. We joke that we’re sisters.

Q: How has Helyn influenced your life as a child of an incarcerated parent?

A: Well, my mom is white, and my dad is Hispanic. The cultures are different… my mom didn’t understand a lot of that culture. Helyn [has] that Hispanic background. She understood things my mom couldn’t. She was like a big sister. I’m the oldest child. Growing up, I was the one who had to stay strong. I couldn’t give in to that sadness of missing a father. With Helyn - she also experienced the loss of her father - I could let myself feel those emotions. She was a guide for me throughout high school and college, and still today.

Q: How does your relationship with Marie continue to impact you today?

A: Our relationship started with us spending an hour a week together for a year. At that year mark, I reached out to… see if she wanted to continue... Marie absolutely wanted to keep hanging out. We went from having a mentoring relationship to being like sisters from then on. Now my sister is involved, my mother is… and I am connected with her mom. We just kind of orbit around our families together now.

Marie has also been a huge part of my support system today.

Q: What do you wish JustDane supporters could know about Mentoring Connections?

A: I can tell you from my own experiences… it impacts a lot more children than you would realize. Children growing up without parents is heartbreaking, but it is happening. As that child, you feel very confused. You don’t understand why this is happening to me. You can’t relate to a lot of kids your age. Mentoring Connections created a safe space where it is OK to be in our situations.

Q: Is there anything you want to tell JustDane supporters about the importance of mentorship?

A: When mentors invest themselves in the relationship and allow themselves to also receive from the mentee, they have a more rewarding and fulfilling experience… mentors and mentees learn from each other… I found that to be true in my life with Marie.

JustDane • Changing Lives, Changing the Community

Staff Spotlight: Meet Jaylin Stueber Who are you?

My name is Jaylin Stueber. I was born and raised here in Madison. I went to school at MATC, then transferred to UW-Madison, where I studied social work. I interned at JustDane, working with Circles of Support, Rapid Rehousing, and Advocacy. I applied to fill the role as Mentoring Connections Match Specialist and here I am. It started off as an internship and turned into a little bit of a career.

What is Mentoring Connections?

Mentoring Connections is our program for youth 5-17 years old who are impacted by parental incarceration. We're trying to provide youth with caring adults who will engage with them and maintain this relationship for a year or longer. They meet at least once a week for an hour to go on outings, expose youth to something they have never done before, or just give them a space to have fun.

Jaylin Stueber Mentoring Connections Match Specialist

Why is Mentoring Connections so important?

These young kids are experiencing trauma. It's important to give these youth an opportunity to see that there are caring adults besides their parents and teachers.

Mentorship is a lost art. A lot of folks forget that youth need guidance. We want to help divert them from going into the criminal justice system. We want to provide them an experience where they can feel loved and have a role model.

What makes a good mentor?

The biggest thing is consistency. Mentors need to commit for at least a year, to meet with the mentees at least once a week for an hour, and have very good communication. We need people who are willing to reach out.

Where do you see MC growing in the future?

My hope is for our own space where kids can come and hang out. We don’t have that now, and we’ve had to do so much virtually because of Covid. I would love to be able to host Friday night games and dinner or workshops. I'm hoping we can do a lot more in-person and create an environment where kids and mentors can pop in regularly.

What excites you about working for JustDane?

I really appreciate the work that JustDane does. I’m super passionate about working on the criminal justice system. I love that JustDane gives me a foot in and a foot out. I get a “foot in” to communicate with folks who are incarcerated or going to be released, and I'm able to get a “foot out” being in the office to provide families and formerly incarcerated people with resources. The biggest thing I love about JustDane is that I feel like I'm not just a number. I'm treated and viewed as a human being. The culture is amazing. It’s like home.

www.justdane.org

JustDialogue • a reflective journal about social action from JustDane

Let's get the bus & cameras rolling again After his visit, an 8-year-old boy tells the nearest adult that his life will always be sad. Why? “My mom’s doing 25 years. She’s done 2 and won’t get out until I’m 31.” Math lesson applied to life: a boy counting years until his 31st birthday?

Serious calculations fill the young minds of our Family Connections kids.

At JustDane we know firsthand what prison visits mean. We hope to resume our Family & Reading Connections trips that have been on pandemic hold for over two years. Bus trips for kids have a familiar pattern and our Family & Reading Connections trip is much like others. It’s the destination that distinguishes it. Instead of to a park or ball game, we head for Taycheedah Correctional Institution, Wisconsin’s maximum-security prison for women.

Emotions for our young passengers run deep. We have special training on prison rules. The kids are on approved prison visitor lists. Every detail is cleared ahead. Upon arrival, possessions stay on the bus or in a locker. Security staff check IDs and registration list. No name on list would mean no admission. We are extra careful to prepare.

We clear the metal detector, get hands stamped, pass into the prison through monitored doors and gates. Inside, we separate into two groups: Family Connections kids with JustDane escorts go to the visiting area. Reading Connections volunteers split off to meet the moms who signed up for books-on-video.

Video recording day brings joy as mothers browse carts of books for every age and interest. While waiting their turn to read, moms select markers and compose artistic letters to their kids. Each mom musters the confidence to look straight at a camera and read aloud. JustDane volunteers reassure and record her voice on DVD to connect her to a child at home. (Tech keeps changing, so our video system needs an upgrade.) The session ends with DVDs, books and letters left in unsealed packages for security staff to examine and mail.

What’s in a video? Observe the toddler, separated from mom for over a year, who runs straight to “Mama” in the visiting room – still connected because she watches mom’s book-on-video again and again. At departure time, all is locked away until our next trip. Hugs bring mother-child visits to a close. JustDane adults gently guide young visitors back to the gate. Exiting hands pass under a light to verify the stamp that grants return passage to the outside world.

JustDane knows the value of keeping families connected. Let's get kids back on the bus to get in-person hugs from their moms in prison. The logistics behind Family & Reading Connections takes cooperation among JustDane, families, prison staff, and the community. We’re determined to keep our bus and cameras rolling!

Reentry Simulations are back in action!

Contact Lara Miller at lara@justdane.org to inquire about bringing this experience to your group in 2022.

JustDane • Changing Lives, Changing the Community

Help us create a community where everyone has a chance to succeed!

Volunteer your time with Mentoring Connections, Circles of Support and Healing House Make a monetary donation to help us continue to provide support to our community Include JustDane in your Planned Giving

Visit our website to learn more: justdane.org/ways-to-give/

Would you like to save some trees and receive future JustDialogues only via email?

Email jean@justdane.org to request electronic JustDialogues only.

Tribute Gifts to JustDane in 2022 In Honor of: Eliana Zimbauer Kim Fisher Linda Ketcham

In Memory of: Thomas Franke

Thank you to our generous supporters!

You help us transform individual lives and social systems to create a just and equitable community.

Sponsors

Supporters American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation Bradshaw Knight Foundation Covenant Presbyterian Church First Congregational United Church of Christ GAF Materials Madison Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends National Institute for Medical Respite Care and CDC Foundation Wisconsin Council of Churches

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Madison-area Urban Ministry, dba

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Madison, WI Permit #1991

2115 South Park Street Madison, Wisconsin 53713 (608) 256-0906 justdane.org

STAY CONNECTED WITH US!

Play an important role in a child's life today!

Mentoring Connections needs you!

Your picture belongs here Find out more about Mentoring Connections in this issue and apply to be a mentor at https://justdane.org/volunteer/ today!

JustDialogue is a reflective journal of social action printed by JustDane staff. The positions expressed here are the opinions of the authors and not necessarily the board of directors or funding sources of JustDane. Faith communities and all individual members receive a copy. Individual membership in JustDane is encouraged. Please mail contributions to our address or visit JustDane’s website at justdane.org.