The Messages Project is currently in
prisons in four states: Virginia,
Oklahoma, California, and Nebraska,
where the Department of Corrections
has mandated the Project for all
Nebraska prisons. Carolyn hopes to
soon expand the Project to Florida and
other states. Prisons are asked to offer
the Project three times a year: at
Christmas, Mother’s Day, and Father’s
Day. Carolyn has also developed an
interactive program to support parent/
child bonds. The first book, which
includes pages for children and their
parents to complete and send to each
other, will be released this fall.
What Does The Messages
Project Mean to Families?
Some families report that children
play their parent’s DVDs over and
over again. A grandmother, who is
the caregiver for her grandson, reported
the need to lower the DVD player
to enable her grandson to play the
DVD himself. Relationships between
parents and children have been maintained
or re-established. After viewing
her incarcerated mother’s DVD message
to her, a previously very angry
daughter renewed contact with her
mother after 13 years.
The Messages Project has also had
a profound effect on people it has
touched indirectly. Again, some
words from my colleague whose
brother was incarcerated:
I’m happy to say that my brother has
been home for almost two years now,
and he is closer to his children than
ever before. While they are still yet
too young to understand the circumstances
that kept them apart for so
long, I hope that someday I’ll be able
The Messages Project
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Electronic Use