The immediate goal of the support system for FOCUS Families is helping our people get information concerning imprisoned loved ones. We accomplish that goal by way of the following avenues:
- Developing support groups to serve as a coping mechanism in cases of isolation, humiliation, depression, sadness, and anger
- Financial aid and technical support for interactive communication for FOCUS Families family members and their loved ones.
The long-term vision of the FOCUS Families is give families access to a counseling network of empathetic licensed individuals willing to help our members tackle the mental stresses associated with having our loved ones caged away.
It is no secret that the United States of America houses 25 percent of the world’s incarcerated population while only being 5 percent of the worlds total population. FOCUS Families believes that for change to truly take place, the laws of the land need to be changed. This ideology is the motivation for the second strategy adopted by the group: political mobilization.
Our intent is to generate a voice for families affected by incarceration in the political arena. FOCUS Families will target the already-registered votes of incarcerated individuals’ family members to develop a voice focused on changing the laws of the land that govern the prison system, thereby giving the very vote they suppress an even more powerful voice. This two-pronged approach places us in a strategic position to achieve our vision. In particular, we will:
- Acquire leverage with the policymakers to
- Limit actual incarceration time based on age, time served, and health
- Curtail Re-incarceration based on technical parole and probation violations
- Improve conditions and time-cut programming in the prisons
- Reduce the cost of communication services so that we may stay more closely connected to our incarcerated loved ones
- Fight back against systemic voter suppression
- Force the state government to revisit its practices for inmates’ agents for Power of Attorney roles.
In addition to organizing as voters, FOCUS Families as an organization believes in the power of strategic community mobilization, protest and direct action, when voting and politicians fail to effectively address our concerns.
Join our Facebook group or fill out the form below if you have a loved one incarcerated in Indiana and/or want to get involved!
