In the following pages you will hear the voices of children dealing with the incarceration of a family member. The strength, resilience and determination of these kids are incredible.

This publication came about because of my seven years of working with children dealing with these difficult circumstances. They are not treated as victims of crime, but in many ways they are hurt the most by it. I have witnessed the tears of a child going to visit her mother on mother’s day, only to be coldly turned away because she had metal bobby pins in her hair. I have comforted a young girl who sobbed, not wanting to leave her mommy after a rare visit. I have heard the stories of siblings being separated due to guardianship issues
upon their parent’s incarceration. I have heard statements of loneliness, isolation and despair. Their stories are heartbreaking, sad, funny, honest and sincere. Their scars are deep, but you wouldn’t know it by the smiles on their faces.

I wanted to give these kids an opportunity to tell their stories in their own words. They deserve recognition for their strong spirit and strength of mind. I hope that you can take away from this a sense of understanding and compassion for these children and the struggles they have faced. Family members often describe their lives while their loved one is incarcerated as serving time with them. Incarceration not only hurts the prisoner who is “locked in,” but also those who are “locked out.”

Thank you for your support of these kids. They so greatly deserve it.

by Rachel Pearl

From the Preface to I Touch Your Face in My Dreams: Writings by Children with Incarcerated Parents

You can click here to download the read or download the entire booklet in PDF form [0].