Can we do more for kids with parents in prison? YES!

Many of us (especially parents) involved in prisoner advocacy actually grieve on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day! Occupants of our prisons are no different than you and me. Those holidays are special for us, and incarcerated men and women wish it could be special for them, also. It’s not. 

Shortly after Father’s Day, 2026, (which I was blessed to observe with kids, grandkids and 2 great grandkids!) I came upon a program in California that has promise. I’d like to see it get started it Michigan. 

It all began 26 years ago when a group of Catholic sisters and laywomen made visits to a couple of women’s prisons in California. One heartbreaking theme emerged repeatedly: "We never see our children." 

So, they did something about it! The program is called “Get on the bus.” 

“Get on the Bus” brings children and their caregivers from throughout the State of California to visit their mothers and fathers in prison. This statewide prison visiting program trains and educates volunteers and supporters throughout California and engages the media to raise awareness about the plight of parents behind bars. 

Here are some of the exciting details:

-An annual Event: held once a year, typically around Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

-Transportation: free bus trips from across the state to the prison, with return transportation. 

And the neat and meaningful things include:

-Travel bags for children, comfort bags for caregivers.

-Photo of each child with their parent.

-Meals: breakfast, snacks on the bus, special lunch at the prison, dinner on the way home. 

AND

-On the way home, each child receives a teddy bear with a letter from their parent!

 PRISM, a wonderful journalism project that reports on things like this, has this to say: “Inside a California prison Father’s Day event, families share meals, laughs, and memories! A non-profit-led “Get on the Bus” program brought together hundreds of families in a special moment that can be rare in prisons. Many families said that without the transportation and complimentary food provided by Get on the Bus, they wouldn’t have been able to visit that weekend.” 

So, here’s my challenge. A program getting started can be very small, like Humanity for Prisoners at its inception 25 years ago. The launch of a new program like this would not have to be conducted by a religious organization (although it’s a perfect Christian ministry!). I could envision civic groups taking this on, as well. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated at the onset. But, what a beautiful concept! 

We have 33,000 men and women in Michigan’s 26 prisons. And, it’s important to remember that 6 of these facilities are located in remote areas of the Upper Peninsula! There’s no question that many of these incarcerated individuals deal with emotional struggles on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. So do their kids! Perhaps a start-up group can do something about it. 

Let’s think about this! Let’s pray about this! Let's do something about this!