For Mothers with Incarcerated Sons--survey for a research project

[dkchi]

since i became the mother of an ex-offender, it has been my passion to understand the changes a mother goes through when her son is in prison, and why those changes are so different from a father's or a sister's or a girlfriend's--coz they are!

as part of my thesis project for columbia college chicago, i'm conducting a study on just that. it is completely anonymous and confidential. no names are asked for and no names will be shared.

i've developed a questionnaire/survey to help me with my analysis and i hope all you mothers will participate.

you can get a copy of the questionnaire on my website but since i'm not allowed to post a link yet, i'm gonna try to post the pdf as an attachment.

it can be emailed or mailed. email address and po box address are all on the form.

as part of this study, i'll also be interviewing people on the street by video and the final project will be sent to Oprah.

we need people to know that we are NOT an invisible population and with our numbers and our votes, together, we have the ability to change policies and make a difference for our sons and our future sons.

please help!!

[mrssunnyb]

Welcome To Pto.

[deb]

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Deb

[mamadesesperada]

Originally Posted by dkchi

since i became the mother of an ex-offender, it has been my passion to understand the changes a mother goes through when her son is in prison, and why those changes are so different from a father's or a sister's or a girlfriend's--coz they are!

as part of my thesis project for columbia college chicago, i'm conducting a study on just that. it is completely anonymous and confidential. no names are asked for and no names will be shared.

i've developed a questionnaire/survey to help me with my analysis and i hope all you mothers will participate.

you can get a copy of the questionnaire on my website but since i'm not allowed to post a link yet, i'm gonna try to post the pdf as an attachment.

it can be emailed or mailed. email address and po box address are all on the form.

as part of this study, i'll also be interviewing people on the street by video and the final project will be sent to Oprah.

we need people to know that we are NOT an invisible population and with our numbers and our votes, together, we have the ability to change policies and make a difference for our sons and our future sons.

please help!!

Hi
I live in Il near by Chicago area, its really nice what are you doing,my son is beng in prision for 3 years his going to get out in 20012, but his in California I just move here 2 years ago looking for a better place to live for my twins but I miss my son and I cant help cry any time he cames to my mind. I will send you the form you have hope can help in samething.
mamadesesperada

[dkchi]

i imagine it's heartbreaking not being able to visit him. when my son was in for 4 years, while it was long drives, i couldn't have made it without seeing him and i guess it helped him too.

depending on where you are in Chicago, you might be interested in the FREE creative writing group i'm starting on thursday, oct. 16th. it will be every thursday until april 16th, 2009, but you don't HAVE to come every week. info below:

Free Creative Writing Workshop
for Mothers of Incarcerated Sons
Howard Area Community Center
7648 N. Paulina Rm 2 (north end of red line)
Thursdays, 6-7:30

since i can't post an email add. you can contact Howard Area Community Center for more info.

would love to see you and best wishes to you.

dkchi

[dkchi]

hey all-i hear there were some problems with the form that i attached for this survey. those problems have been fixed and i hope you'll all give it another chance. the top left button will email it directly to me.

thx again.

dkchi

[BlessTheInmates]

Originally Posted by dkchi

as part of this study, i'll also be interviewing people on the street by video and the final project will be sent to Oprah.

we need people to know that we are NOT an invisible population and with our numbers and our votes, together, we have the ability to change policies and make a difference for our sons and our future sons.

I hope the letter gets thru and heard. Ratings yanno. I've sent things in the past. On other issues. Only to get a returned email from email staff. I forgot what they said, but they were clearly not interested.

Your right on, we seem to be the invisible population Go get em!

[dutchgirl1]

while I understand and maybe even think it is good what you are trying to do... there have been a couple others who have wanted to interview for papers in college... I wonder,,, if you are a parent of an ex-offender, did you not have the feelings n thoughts that you are asking of us.?
just curious.

[dkchi]

i have had all of the feelings that anyone can imagine. during and after his time in prison. and i've found over the years that there is no where, except here, where mothers can get together and talk about themselves, their thoughts and emotions.

my idea is that with as many of us as there are, if are voice were somewhere that other people heard them, if we gathered those voices together, we might be able to do something about the ridiculous laws and sentences that continue to warehouse our young men.

we have over 2 million in jail--how many mothers with votes is that??

[BlessTheInmates]

Originally Posted by dkchi

i have had all of the feelings that anyone can imagine. during and after his time in prison. and i've found over the years that there is no where, except here, where mothers can get together and talk about themselves, their thoughts and emotions.

my idea is that with as many of us as there are, if are voice were somewhere that other people heard them, if we gathered those voices together, we might be able to do something about the ridiculous laws and sentences that continue to warehouse our young men.

we have over 2 million in jail--how many mothers with votes is that??

That number is staggering Well, they say there are 800 secret prison camps in USA. Go Figure. At this rate, we'll all be in a Pen somewhere eventually. How gross huh.

[mlgrjs]

Originally Posted by BlessTheInmates

That number is staggering Well, they say there are 800 secret prison camps in USA. Go Figure. At this rate, we'll all be in a Pen somewhere eventually. How gross huh.

Awe Bless, that number IS staggering, one out of every 99.something people in this nation is under criminal justice control. It is the result of three decades of our leaders blasting us with "law-and-order" thinking; the prison industry is America's full-employment program. You can go in to do the job of inmate or go in to do the job of CO; either way, that keeps at least two people occupied and out of the way.

Prison is BIG BUSINESS, keeps millions of people busy, and is not about to get any better.

How WE (as a people) do the business of corrections is a matter of what most people ask that their legislators and governors and presidents give to them. Can you imagine a political campaign that rests on better treatment of inmates, shrinking of the prison system, and reduction in the use of criminal law to keep people completely under control?

Such a campaign is not going to get very far.....

The last time this nation gave any serious thought to the rights of prisoners was when Earl Warren was chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Since then most efforts have been toward undoing the prisioners' rights that had been won during the Warren Court era (Miranda, etc.).

The road we travel now is the path the nation has worked toward, starting with Richard Nixon in 1968 and his first "war on crime" which translated to a "war on drugs" and laid the ground work for all that we know and face today .

Who becomes the fodder for the system, and who becomes the keeper of the keys is largely a crap shoot . BUT, that the system will have its keepers and its kept IS A CERTAINTY . It is AMERICA'S TRAGEDY that we are so short-sighted and foolish as to think our prison system is anything but barbaric . False pride Bless; and what does God have to tell us about that?

[Rebecca777]

Originally Posted by dkchi

since i became the mother of an ex-offender, it has been my passion to understand the changes a mother goes through when her son is in prison, and why those changes are so different from a father's or a sister's or a girlfriend's--coz they are!

as part of my thesis project for columbia college chicago, i'm conducting a study on just that. it is completely anonymous and confidential. no names are asked for and no names will be shared.

i've developed a questionnaire/survey to help me with my analysis and i hope all you mothers will participate.

you can get a copy of the questionnaire on my website but since i'm not allowed to post a link yet, i'm gonna try to post the pdf as an attachment.

it can be emailed or mailed. email address and po box address are all on the form.

as part of this study, i'll also be interviewing people on the street by video and the final project will be sent to Oprah.

we need people to know that we are NOT an invisible population and with our numbers and our votes, together, we have the ability to change policies and make a difference for our sons and our future sons.

please help!!

As I mother of a son who is currently in the prison system, I would be interested to know how YOU felt when your son was in prison.
What emotions did you go through? What changes did you go through? You have a passion for this because you went through this.
Tell us about your experience.. how you felt when he was sentenced,
how you felt when letters came in, how your visits went , how you felt the day he was released? Who was your support group?
We support each other here night and day.. Why you feel that our changes are different than a father, sister, girlfriend, wife?
Just wondering.. Would like to hear your story.. Thanks..

[BlessTheInmates]

Originally Posted by mlgrjs

Awe Bless, that number IS staggering, one out of every 99.something people in this nation is under criminal justice control.

Originally Posted by Rebecca777

As I mother of a son who is currently in the prison system, I would be interested to know how YOU felt when your son was in prison.

Thank you for that well spoken post. You surely have passion on this subject. And that's excellent.

Let's keep doing our best to give good influence to the generations around us. I hope our new president gets to the issue as soon as he can.

[Rebecca777]

Originally Posted by BlessTheInmates

Thank you for that well spoken post. You surely have passion on this subject. And that's excellent.

Let's keep doing our best to give good influence to the generations around us. I hope our new president gets to the issue as soon as he can.

Thank you.. yes.. I do have a passion for this subject..

I pray that God will guide the new president as he takes office and gets to this issue promptly..

[BlessTheInmates]

Originally Posted by Rebecca777

Thank you.. yes.. I do have a passion for this subject..

I pray that God will guide the new president as he takes office and gets to this issue promptly..

Ah yes! Your right on with that. See how quickly I forget about Gods power. I hope too God will guide him. He's got alot of things to do in office. His desk is going to be super swamped. Anybody here want to apply for the secetary job? You could do wonders with slipping our issues to the top of the stack

[wendy tyler]

A poster on another forum had emailed the office of Obama. She actually got an email back and posted it. The poster had inquired about Obama's plan for rehabilitation and prison reform. The response was very impressive. I wish I was as good as some of you and been able to bring it on over here for all to read.

[mlgrjs]

Originally Posted by wendy tyler

A poster on another forum had emailed the office of Obama. She actually got an email back and posted it. The poster had inquired about Obama's plan for rehabilitation and prison reform. The response was very impressive. I wish I was as good as some of you and been able to bring it on over here for all to read.

Wendy the internet mysteries can be mastered. To copy a post, highlight the part you want to copy, right click, click copy. Then open the spot where you want to paste it, right click and click paste; voila, the material should magically apprear in the new place. Sisters, if I have overlooked something please help us out here. But if nothing else, tell us where to go look and thank you Wendy for telling us about it.

[BlessTheInmates]

Perfect! Oh but do have Coffee first. giggle.

[mlgrjs]

Originally Posted by BlessTheInmates

Perfect! Oh but do have Coffee first. giggle.

By all means yes Bless, coffee first--but not the way I did it a couple of weeks ago -- as in all over my keyboard

[BlessTheInmates]

Originally Posted by mlgrjs

By all means yes Bless, coffee first--but not the way I did it a couple of weeks ago -- as in all over my keyboard

heheh ouchies! How did you clean that out? Glad you did! Cuz, what would we do without you being able to log on? would be bad oh so bad.

[worriedmama]

I too am interested in bit more of your story.I agree that a mothers perspective is differant. But I would be a bit more comfortable sharing with you if you share with us.I am sure you have checked this forum out and know that we share our ups and downs. I know anyone can view this even without joining as I did before I joined,but I guess I am a little skeptical. And I hope that if you do get this info maybe Oprah will be interested. I have done a little research on our new presidents views on the prison system,I too am praying that he will have the time to make some changes to our current prison system.

[mlgrjs]

I don't want to rain on the parade but it is most likely that Oprah already knows the story. The mom's story is different than that of anyone else's in this dance. The mom knows what we did at 3:00 am when their tiny infant bodies were raging with a fever--we know what we did when our exhaustion had us dropping through the floor but we kept walking 'cuz our babies hurt and we were too young to know what they needed and all the rest of the ways in which mom's relationship to her babies is different than that of all others. I suspect a survey will never be able to tell us what the heart of a mama knows. unconditionally

[mercedes howard]

Rocky, you nailed in right on the head!!! What you said!!!! Mercedes