For incarcerated men and women – about 3700 DC residents in over 100 prisons from here to California – and for their children, displacement has grave consequences. However, the programs Hope House offers bring about a positive change. Children experience the thrill of new books, the joy of hearing their parents read to them on audio recordings, and the positive messages they hear about education, behavior, and love. Week-long summer camps behind bars focus on arts, literacy activities, and fun. While working together on life-size murals, parents in prison find ways to communicate family history, important life lessons, and even favorite relationship tips. Children with parents in prison who live in the DC metro area get together for events to celebrate holidays or their return to school--gatherings that address a critical problem: the isolation and social stigma experienced by children deprived of a loved parent.
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