Know your rights as the family of an incarcerated person
In 2013, the InterNational Prisoners Family Conference adopted the "Prison Family Bill of Rights."I wish such a document had existed during the 16 years that my son was in and out of New York State prisons. (It is relevant for me today because I have two family members currently in prison.)
During those long years, interactions with the New York City jail system and state prison system fostered my belief that family visitors--mostly black and Hispanic--are viewed as negatively as the inmates in custody.
Visit rooms are sparse and unwelcoming. Correctional officers conduct their duties with cold efficiency. Rules, which sometimes seemed arbitrary, are strictly enforced without exception.
The 12 rights* address issues that families of prisoners face despite efforts to reform criminal justice institutions and policies that disproportionately affect low-income individuals and communities of color. Some rights are:
the right for consistency in enforcing rules;
the right to be informed within 24 hours of a prisoner's illness, injury, or death;
the right to have a prisoner housed within a reasonable distance from their permanent address;
the right to be provided with current specific names and direct phone numbers of prison officials (to answer questions about an incarcerated loved one.)
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) states the "1 in 4 adults in U.S. have experienced incarceration in their family. "We are a large bloc of voters whose actions can push legislators and local and state governments to provide alternatives to incarceration, develop effective strategies for post-prison release, support families, especially children, affected by incarceration, and educate the public about the societal effects of incarceration.
There is an urgent need to advocate, organize, and lobby along with advocacy organizations, activists, and others to support reforms in the criminal justice system. Knowing our rights is a positive first step.
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info@prisonersfamilyconference.org.