the people inside federal prisons are parents to minor children, and the majority of those people are fathers. What happens to their kids and families while they serve time?
To answer this question, host Anita Rao talks with her former thesis adviser , whose father was sent to prison when she was 15. Ashley works for the University of Michigan as a professor of theatre and drama and the director of Latina/o Studies, and she wrote a play called 鈥溾�� exploring her own and others鈥� experiences of having an incarcerated family member.
Anita also talks with journalist , who goes by SAH, about her experience of losing her mother to an asthma attack and her father to a prison sentence before she was 6. SAH put her story in context in her book, 鈥�,鈥� which contains her investigative research into the carceral system and its intersection with the welfare and education systems.
You can find more resources from SAH .
Three Challenges Children Face for Staying in Touch with Incarcerated Parents
High Cost Phone Calls
Many families with loved ones in prison struggle to afford the calling fees. Prices vary by state, but can cost 鈥� almost $23 an hour.
Journalist Sylvia A. Harvey (SAH) talked with her dad about twice a week when he was in prison during her childhood. She once got mad when he didn鈥檛 call for a couple weeks 鈥� and only as an adult did she learn it was due to cost.
Limited Access to Extended Family Visits
An extended family visit is private time a prisoner can spend with their family, lasting a few hours or even overnight. . SAH remembers spending weekends making pancakes with her dad as a little girl during his incarceration.
As of 2021, there are with official extended family visitation programs.
Prisons Located Far From Home
State prisoners are incarcerated . For federal prisoners, that distance increases to an average of 500 miles 鈥� which can be a whole day鈥檚 drive. Additionally, most prisons are not accessible by public transportation, making visits difficult for families with limited or no car access.
Please note: This episode originally aired February 10, 2023.
Some links from Ashley Lucas:
- An article Ashley wrote about , who served 49 years in Pennsylvania prisons and was the father of seven children
- An interview Ashley did with Maroon鈥檚 son, Russell III, 鈥溾��
- A virtual panel featuring Ashley called 鈥溾��
