Resources
Organizations That Offer Support Groups
The following organizations offer support groups for families; several have created separate groups for mothers. Be sure to check about space availability. Some groups may require registration, and meet for a limited time, e.g., 8 weeks. Others are drop-in groups, open to all, and ongoing. Facebook groups function like bulletin boards with posts and responses.
Remember that many of the organizations that support prisoners and their families are faith-based, although their services are usually open to people of all belief systems and denominations. Again, it is best to ask.
Aleph Institute - The Aleph Institute serves individuals of all backgrounds and faiths. Our guiding factors are Torah principles based on acceptance of God as the Supreme Power and Creator of the universe and emphasizing the values of human dignity, thereby making the world a better place for all. All of Aleph’s services are provided at no charge. “No one alone, no one forgotten” is their motto.
Hinda Institute - Hinda supports victims and families, spouses, parents and children - the innocent collateral damage of crime. In addition to support groups, Hinda helps with job placement, housing, training, social support, therapy and spiritual guidance. They also visit detained citizens alone and forgotten within correctional institutions and those reentering society to rebuild their lives for good.
Prison Families Alliance - Prison Families Alliance (PFA) is committed to improving the lives of families and children who have loved ones in the criminal justice system. Their vision is to transform the community by empowering the prison family through support, education, and guidance.
They offer free, monthly peer support meetings for adults and children of loved ones in the criminal justice system. These meetings are available in-person and virtually.
Essie Justice Group - Essie Justice Group is the nation’s leading organization of women with incarcerated loved ones taking on the rampant injustices created by mass incarceration. Their award-winning Healing to Advocacy Program brings women together to heal, build collective power, and drive social change. We are building a Sisterhood (membership) of fierce advocates for race and gender justice — including Black and Latinx women, formerly and currently incarcerated women, trans women, and gender expansive people.
Alliance of Families for Justice - The Alliance of Families for Justice seeks to end mass incarceration by empowering the formerly incarcerated and their families. In addition to other programs, they hold weekly family empowerment circles by Zoom.
Facebook Groups
Most of these groups are private and require registering, meaning that only members can see who's in the group and what they post. Once approved, participation is limited to posting and sharing on their Facebook page. These are all very active groups.
Mothers of Children in Prison Support Group
Inmate Support Loved Ones of the Incarcerated
Parents with a Son/Daughter in Prison
Other Organizations of Interest
The Marshall Project - Founded in 2014, The Marshall Project is a journalism outlet, not an advocacy organization. They are a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system. We have an impact on the system through journalism, rendering it more fair, effective, transparent and humane. Their newsletters and special issues are sent to prisons as well as families and allies.
Mothers of Incarcerated Sons Society, Inc. - Mothers of Incarcerated Sons (MISS) was founded in 1992. They currently have over 3,700 members around the United States and in Europe. They provide resources, help families, and hold occasional events and zoom meetings.
Angel Tree - Fellowship Angel Tree® equips churches to strengthen relationships between incarcerated parents and their children and support the families of prisoners year-round.
Podcasts and Videos
My Child is in Prison: Now What? (podcast)
Prison Riot Radio Interview (video)
Published Resources
Arango, Tim, “A Mom’s Conviction Offers Prosecutors a New Tactic in Mass Shooting Cases”, New York Times, 26 February 2024
Benisty, M., Bensimon, M., & Ronel, N. (2021). Familial pains of imprisonment: The experience of parents and siblings of incarcerated men. Victims & Offenders, 16(2), 247-265.
Chui, W. H. (2016). Incarceration and family stress as understood through the family process theory: Evidence from Hong Kong. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 881.
Clayton, G., Richardson, E., Mandlin, L., & Farr, B. (2018). Because she’s powerful: The political isolation and resistance of women with incarcerated loved ones. Los Angeles and Oakland, CA: Essie Justice Group.
Comfort, M. L. (2003). In the tube at San Quentin: The “secondary prisonization” of women visiting inmates. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 32(1), 77-107.
Gillmore, D. M. V., & Blaize, B. L. (2017). Doing Time With Our Boys: Family & Community Engagement Strategies for Reaching Adjudicated Boys and their Families.
Green, K. M., Ensminger, M. E., Robertson, J. A., & Juon, H. S. (2006). Impact of adult sons’ incarceration on African American mothers’ psychological distress. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68(2), 430-441.
Hairston, C. F. (2002, January). Prisoners and families: Parenting issues during incarceration. In From Prison to Home: The Effects of Incarceration and Reentry on Children, Families and Communities Conference, Jan (pp. 30-31).
Hardy, J. (2018). Parental incarceration’s effect on family: Effects on mothers, fathers, marriage, children, and socioeconomic status. Canadian Journal of Family and Youth/Le Journal Canadien de Famille et de la Jeunesse, 10(1), 119-140.
Lockwood, K. (2021). ‘Lockdown's changed everything’: Mothering adult children in prison in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. Probation Journal, 68(4), 458-475.
Minkin, R., Parker, K., Horowitz, J. M., & Aragão, C. (2024). Parents, young adult children and the transition to adulthood.
Murray, B. L. (2010). Secrets of mothering (Doctoral dissertation, University of Saskatchewan).
Nicole, Tiffany and Abigail Glasgow. “How Can I Be Free When My Child Is Incarcerated?”, Time Magazine, May, 2024
Sirois, C. (2020). The strain of sons' incarceration on mothers’ health. Social Science & Medicine, 264, 113264.
Tadros, E., Presley, S., & Guzman, Y. (2023). “Who are you really punishing?”: Mothers’ experiences with an incarcerated son. Crime & Delinquency, 00111287221146544.
deVuono-Powell, S., Schweidler, C., Walters, A., & Zohrabi, A. (2015). Who pays? The true cost of incarceration on families. Oakland, Calif.: Ella Baker Center, Forward Together, Research Action Design. Accessed July, 23(2021), 221-43.
White, L. C. (2019). The Experiences of Black Mothers of Incarcerated Children: With a Focus on Their Sons. Arizona State University.