For families
The Prison Family Survival Guide
Having a loved one incarcerated — or coming home — is one of the hardest things a family goes through. These resources are built for you.
You're navigating this too.
When someone goes to prison, the whole family serves time in a different way. You're managing finances alone, explaining the situation to children, navigating visitation rules, and trying to hold things together — often without a roadmap.
When they come home, a new set of challenges begins. Rebuilding trust, adjusting to a new dynamic, supporting reentry without enabling, and figuring out what your role looks like now.
The Prison Family Survival Guide is built for that experience. It's practical, honest, and written for people who are already doing the hard work.
You don't have to figure this out alone.
These resources are built for families — not just the person who was incarcerated.
Get It on AmazonWhile they're incarcerated
When they come home
Get the guide on Amazon
The Prison Family Survival Guide is available on Amazon. Practical, plain-language support for families navigating incarceration and reentry — before, during, and after release.
What's covered
National family support resources
Prison Policy Initiative
Research and advocacy on mass incarceration and its impact on families.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
Advocacy organization supporting families affected by harsh sentencing laws.
Get on the Bus
Helps children visit incarcerated parents in California state prisons.
Hour Children
Supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children in New York.
National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated
Research, training, and resources for families navigating incarceration.
Sesame Street in Communities
Age-appropriate resources for talking to young children about incarceration.
Looking for resources for someone coming home?
The First 72 Hours packet and the Resource Finder are built for the person being released — share them directly.