we come here to give and get support from each other we are not here to help you with your class work we have a family type support here and you are not welcome here im sorry if i offend any of my ds family but he should look eles where

I agree with the above. This site is for support not for statistical data collection. Perhaps you should research how our soldiers reenter society when the come home from the war also. Statistically I'm sure you will find they are similar.

I think he posted it for anyone that WANTS to respond. If you don't want to respond then don't respond. I don't find it offensive at all, in fact I think if I read his post correctly he would foward his findings to students and faculty and who knows it might end up helping some people.. I think it's our option to respond or not. That's my feelings on it.
This probably isn't the most appropriate place to post this question, but I think a suffecient "this isn't the place for your post" would have been good enough. It's our choice to respond and answer his post or not. Sorry you ran into so much trouble here Wilsonwr. Usually the folks here are very nice, and would just say it's not the right place. Maybe it's the holidays.

I'm sorry to ignite such an issue, but I've already said what I think.. That it's our choice to respond or not. And that I don't think it's the best place for the question. That's all I have to say on it. Your first 5 responses were helpful. Letting him know you weren't interested in answering then giving him other options.. But your last response was more a lecture really in my opinion. I mean to me it seems like you sat there and got more irritated by the minute that he would even fathom asking such a question... (I'm sorry that's just how it looked to me and I don't fault anyone for being irritated or anything else frankly). I just threw in my two cents. That's it. I don't want to start some sort of debate over this. So I'll just leave it at that.. I've put in my three cents now. I really don't have anything new to add. So I'll move on to another post or another community at this time. Good luck Wilson finding the answers you need. Prison talk might be a good site if you find a state that has recent posters. That's been my problem with the answers I've been looking for there.

I agree that none of us are statistics.

First of all, I want to personally apologize to jeremynlaurie and redneckangel. Now that I've read through the replies, it is abundantly clear to me that my post is inappropriate. I honestly didn't intend to make anyone feel like a statistic, especially in a forum that is meant to be intimately supportive.

I also want to tell you my gratitude for referencing me to the other sites where such questions would be more appropriate.

I'll just put everything on the table. What I'm doing really isn't a "report" or "homework." I am doing it voluntarily; it will not affect my grades. Essentially, I hope to centralize a number of websites so that anybody attending my university, now or in the future, who can't seem to find the help that they seek for their loved ones in prison (this includes me) can find it more easily. I wasn't sure where to start... so I asked you guys.

And to be frank, there are people who can greatly benefit from this support group but do not know about it. The forum seems like a family. A very protective family. =)

Again, thanks for the links given.

I read your article on www.prisonpartners.com, and it really is a tragedy you're going through.

Any information like this is helpful. My goal is to help fellow students effectively and efficiently locate the information they will need to overcome the tribulation of imprisonment. It will empower them to apply and benefit from the vast storehouse of information that is in fact already available. The finished product of this work will allow students to share their knowledge with others through an on-line textbook, thereby truly embodying the ideal of our university: Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that I am particular to Post-Prison Outreach Programs, for reasons that should be obvious. But I will search for those personally.

On a side note, I wish your family the best. I'm confident that you will get to the end of your challenges not only intact, but stronger than before. I've always considered this life to be Act II of a three-act play. All the tragedies and shocking plot-twists may take place here, but they were preceded by a divine spiritual birthright and will be followed by the burning glories of eternal felicity, if we prepare properly.

sorry if i came on a little to strong but we do get judged everyday and we didnt do anything wrong we just love someone who is in prison but it is true most inmates face alot of inhumane acts most people not really know what are love ones are going thru in prison and alot of them shouldnt be in prison once again im sorry if i came off a little strong

I am just getting to this post this morning. I personally am not offended by your quest to provide others with helpful information that may assist them in dealing with a loved one behind bars. I actually commend you on your efforts and do not believe that you are making a mockery out of us. From your post, you have experienced this first hand with your Stepmother being incarcerated. You are interested in knowing if this site is beneficial and how it has assisted.....I find it as a safe harbor to vent or offer advice to others as people who do not experience a loved one in prison can be extremely judgemental. I have found some of the topics that are posted to offer excellent advice or point me in a direction towards a resource that I was unfamiliar with. There are other sites that are helpful as well such as prisontalk.com and famm.org. Best of luck to you, Wilsonwr!

I really didn't hear the word statistic being used here. The only reason why I do not feel its proper to ask these questions here is because of his last sentence, am I the only one who caught it? Hmmm, plans on making his SOURCES - DS- accessable for students and staff at the university- great so then the whole college will come on asking us all sorts of questions- GOD- CAN WE NOT BE STRESSED OUT ENOUGH! Holy Crabs! lol.

This site has provided support for me in great ways. Wives that have not had to go through prison with their spouses will never understand what we go through and having people who are feeling the same ways and being able to help people and get support is great. not many people I know have been through this and can't really support me with understanding.

I found a program called the inmates marriage encounter a program for spouses who are seperated by prison. The program taught us better communication and had improved our marriage.

We also are participating in the marriage ecounter program TIME by mail. We have also been blessed with a wonderful weekend at the prison where we did a marriage workshop!

wilsonwr - as you probably have already noticed, most of us wear our hearts out on our sleeves and this is really the only place to be that vulnerable. This forum has been very valuable to me since I have no one in the real world that can relate to my most intimate thoughts of depression, devestation and loneliness of having a loved one incarcerated. This is an eclectic group of people coming from different religious and cultural backgrounds. The one thing that we all have in common is the frustration and pain of having a loved one in prison. There is not one "single" welfare project that could ever be simplified to help the "released inmate" as well as address the hardship of what prison does to the family members who go through all this. I will pray that if you are searching for answers to help your own personal issues with your step mom, that you will find them. It sounds like you have a big heart and that's what it will take and a lot more if you want to be an advocate for released inmates.

Wilsonwr - I was not offended by your post -- in my mind you are looking for answers that might help you and your stepmother. Most of the people involved in this community are loved ones of those in prison. Therefore, this site is a blessing for them as outsiders do not know the pain that we experience. I, too, would be interested in finding services that help a family member to succed after returning to the community. My son has just been released and he is struggling with this. I would like to receive any information that you receive regarding that. You may email me at duci@earthlink.net.
I do however, feel that your benefit to society would be better served desiminating the information to released prisoners rather than students and faculty at your university.

Here's a summary of the resources that I have submitted so far. As you will see, most of the sites I've found are geared towards reentry The first three are reputable non-profit organizations, and the fourth is a government agency.


The National H.I.R.E. Network
www.hirenetwork.org

The acronym stands for "Helping Individuals with criminal records Reenter through Employment." Since it is established by LAC, a non-profit organization, it is not encumbered by any advertisments.

Click on "Resources and Assistance" and a map of the United States will come up. Click on the map anywhere from California to New York to find state-specific governmental agencies and community-based organizations that assist people with criminal records, practitioners, researchers, and policy makers.

The Network also releases a monthly newsletter.

There is also the Publications section. PDF's whose titles caught my eye were: --After Prison: Roadblocks to Reentry
It is described as"the first-ever comprehensive study of the legal barriers in all 50 states that people with criminal records must overcome in order to lead productive, law-abiding lives and successfully rejoin society."


Reentry National Media Outreach Program
http://www.reentrymediaoutreach.org/

This is a campaign funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. So once again, it is free of advertisements.

The site is aesthetically pleasing and has some moving documentaries and media galleries.

However, what jumped out to me was the material under Tools and Resources>Additional Resource Material. There are two informative PDF's, "McKean Inmate Transition Program Resource Guide" and "Bureau of Prison Employment Manual."


Legal Action Center
www.lac.org

I'll just paste their description:
"The Legal Action Center is the only non-profit law and policy organization in the United States whose sole mission is to fight discrimination against people with histories of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or
***criminal records***,
and to advocate for sound public policies in these areas. For three decades, LAC has worked to combat the stigma and prejudice that keep these individuals out of the mainstream of society. The Legal Action Center is committed to helping people reclaim their lives, maintain their dignity, and participate fully in society as productive, responsible citizens. LAC has just completed an exhaustive, two-year study of the legal obstacles that people with criminal records face when they attempt to reenter society and become productive, law-abiding citizens. LAC's research found that people with criminal records seeking reentry face a daunting array of counterproductive, debilitating, and unreasonable roadblocks in almost every important aspect of life."

Note that it is New York based, but also has Nationwide projects. The organization is extremely reputable. It has not only received numerous rewards, but also extends prestigious awards of its own.

Check out their National Criminal Justice Programs


Federal Bureau of Prisons: Inmate Matters
http://www.bop.gov/inmate_programs/index.jsp

Sections I consider worth exploring are:
--Designations (having this info may be useful)
--Education (There is an occupational training programs directory, listing the occupation programs of every prison in the US)
--Inmate Money (An important financial detail!)
--Release Preparation

Although this is the federal government agency's site, I found it to be less benefical. It still contains important information, though.


So yeah. That was my first stab at it.