Our Mission
Healthy parental connections are essential to a child's development. Children are the silent victims of their parent's crime through the trauma and loss of the environment that has been their life. When a child's parent is incarcerated and a healthy connection is maintained, it reduces the child's risk for social, emotional, and educational problems. For the incarcerated parent, family connection decreases the likelihood of recidivism. Maintaining and enhancing the bond between the child and the incarcerated parent through video messages and other interactive media are the focal points of The Messages Project.
Since 1999, the Messages Project has visited state prisons across the United States several times a year to create more than 9,000 messages (videotapes or DVDs) from incarcerated parents to their kids. The recordings are mailed home to children and families, often with a book that was read as part of the message.
How You Can Help
With the help of the Jacaranda Foundation and School for Orphans in Malawi, The Messages Project is going international for the first time in August! By expanding our program to assist children of incarcerated parents in Africa, we hope to bring further awareness to the global issue of the children left behind when a parent is imprisoned.
But we need your help! The cost to produce the average message is about $15 (for materials and postage). Our trip to Malawi will incur additional costs, including travel expenses and compensating for the scarcity of power sources. To make our trip as successful as possible, we need to ensure we have enough volunteers onsite and enough materials to help as many children as possible.
We Make a Difference
Our organization has been proven to enhance the lives of children affected by parental incarceration. These kids are less likely to later become involved in the criminal justice system themselves, and their parents are less likely to reoffend after their release from prison. We've received numerous compliments from participants, such as the following.
“I am 17-years-old and when my dad went to prison, I was sad and depressed. I haven’t seen him in a long time. When the DVD message and book arrived, I was emotional, but happy that I could see my dad. It felt like we were in the same room together. I really value the fact that I was able to see my dad and know he is okay and thinking about me daily. He looked good and I was able to see that myself. This is a great program!”
~A Message Recipient
Other Ways You Can Help
If you aren't able to make a monetary donation at this time, that's okay! Please help support our cause by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Use the Indiegogo "share" tools to spread the word about our fundraiser, and let us know if you're available to volunteer at filmings in your state. See our site for complete details.
