FamilyLifeBehindBars  

It’s been a few months since the last show but the web radio show is back. On Wednesday, October 7 at 9 p.m. EST, Makeba and I will be talking to Marika Turano, the documentary filmmaker of The Word Is Love. Capturing the voices of children affected by arrest and incarceration, The Word Is Love looks at the impact of incarceration, but from a child’s point of view. During the show, Turano will talk about the film and how the children featured in the film handled the impact of their parent(s) incarceration, including life with their caretakers, handling the stigma of incarceration, their feelings about their incarcerated parent and life after their parents are released. One of the children featured in the film, Kasem“Chuckie” Watson, will also join us during the show. Watson, whose mother was incarcerated for four years, will talk about the impact that his mother’s incarceration had on his life, and how he forged a relationship with her following her release. Ms. Lorraine Watson Sr., the grandmother featured in the film who became the caretaker of her grandchildren while their mother was imprisoned, will also join the show. Watson Sr. will discuss the impact that incarceration had on her life and the sacrifices she had to make. Check out the link for a clip of the film below from the film and be sure to listen live during the show. You can listen online at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/familylifebehindbars or by calling (347) 326-9981. You can also ask questions or speak your mind during the show by dialing (347) 326-9981 and pressing 1, or by leaving a comment on the site.

We’ll be talking to Dr. Harland Kessaris, a psychologist who specializes in reintegration into family life following a prison term. You may remember Dr. Kessaris from an interview he did with Tiffany Garlic last year around the holidays. We decided to bring him back to talk about what families can do to cope with the loss of a loved one to the prison system and how the family on the outside can reconnect with a loved one behind bars. He will also talk about both family and social dynamics and what former inmates can do to reintegrate into family life.

We'll be speaking to a financial advisor about the following: * * Financial advice for families with at least one incarcerated family member * * Money saving tips for families with at least one incarcerated family member * * Financial planning for families with an incarcerated family member * * Financial tips for recently released individuals * * Money saving tips for recently released individuals Though this financial advisor normally advises clients with wealth in excess of $1 million, he has personal experience with advising his own family, which was impacted financially because of the incarceration of a family member. We anticipate this show being highly informative so we strongly encourage you listen live online at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/familylifebehindbars or by calling (347) 326-9981. Please share this with people in the community who you think will find this information helpful. For more info, please visit www.familylifebehindbars.org

Makeba and I will be talking to Chandra Villanueva, a Policy Associate at the Women’s Prison Association (WPA) and author of WPA’s new report on prison nursery programs. The report, which is a comprehensive look at prison nursery centers across the country, is due out on Monday, a day after Mother’s Day. We’ll be talking to Villanueva about the results from the report, why it matters, and what it means in terms of new policies and potential effects on the prison system. We’ll also be joined by Tina Reynolds, founder of Women on the Rise Telling HerStory (WORTH), an association of women who have been empowered by personal experiences to advocate for policy changes that create barriers for women and their families during and after incarceration.

Today at 6:30 p.m., Bobby Blanchard, the Director of The Children’s Center at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility will be on Family Life Behind Bars Radio. Just an hour north of New York City, the maximum security women’s prison where the center is located, is home to mothers looking to maintain an active role in their children’s lives. Founded over 25 years ago, The Children’s Center offers programs and services that helps the mother strengthen her role as a parent, improve family ties, and support and nurture the children. The center is funded by an agency of Catholic Charities Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens. Blanchard, who has worked at the facility for 15 years and has been the director for four, will talk about the center, her experience working with both the mothers and children in the program, as well as what can be done to repair relationships that have been strained by separation.

I will be talking to Terrence Stevens, the Executive Director of In Arms Reach, Inc., a non-profit art, music, prison visitation and educational mentoring organization that serves youth ages 7 to 18 whose parents are or were formerly incarcerated. We’ll also be speaking to a staff member from the organization. www.familylifebehindbars.org