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We Believe in
Second Chances

SERVICES IN CALIFORNIA; ADVOCACY WORLDWIDE

Current News...

Family Visits Strengthen Bonds with the Incarcerated, Especially at the Holidays
- A message from our Executive Director

Dear Friends,

Being locked away and having your freedoms taken is scary, debilitating even. Acting out or turning inward are understandable reactions; the thought of being confined and losing autonomy can be deeply unsettling and distressing. Losing connection with the outside and having to learn a new way of existing requires a reorientation to daily living. Without the ability to remain connected to a support system, to loved ones, life becomes meaningless. Visitation is critical to the mental health of incarcerated individuals, serving as a link to the outside world, a source of emotional support, and a key factor in successful rehabilitation and reintegration into the community.

Read more in our December newsletter. 

Resource Links

This Christmas, there will be more than 3,000 kids in San Joaquin County who have a parent in jail or prison.

You can help brighten the holidays for one of these children with a gift to Friends Outside Holiday Wish. This one-of-a-kind program provides two “wanted” items and two “needed” items to a child in San Joaquin County with a parent who will be incarcerated during Christmas. Friends Outside identifies these children, interviews the parent or guardian to find out what the child needs and wants, and arranges a package of gifts specially for that child.

You can sponsor a child’s Holiday Wish for $200. Be a part of this meaningful program and help brighten a child’s holiday this year!

When you give to Holiday Wish, be sure to set the service fees and "tips" to $0. That way, every dollar goes to Friends Outside and is 100% tax-deductible!

See and share our YouTube video (English)  (Spanish) 

Sponsor a child's Holiday Wish giving button

Facts about children and incarceration

  • On any given day, there are an estimated 5 million children in America with at least one parent in prison or jail.
  • 1 in every 100 adults in America is in jail or prison.
  • An estimated 2.7 million children in California have a parent currently in California’s adult criminal justice system, including approximately 195,000 who have parents in a state prison.
  • For 70 years, Friends Outside has been providing services to incarcerated and reentering people, their families and communities.

Children of an Incarcerated Parent

Support a Child of an Incarcerated Parent

Many people forget that when a parent is incarcerated, the time they do on the inside is also done by their children. Life changes when your parent is incarcerated. Studies have shown that kids need to stay connected to their parents for health and mental health reasons. Family finances change as well. Children still need school supplies, clothing, food, etc. Making a donation to this fund allows us to assist children and families of incarcerated parents with the needs for daily living missing as a result of incarceration. Please donate today!

How to Donate