Indiana Prison Advocates - Fighting for our Inmates

It has become harder and harder to communicate with and visit my uncle, whom I love and miss all the time. It is preposterous that what shreds of communication my family and I have with him are under attack at all times for profit. What hurts most is that my 83 year old grandmother who has no computer can no longer send her son letters and cards.

It's Jesus' directive to visit the prisoners. Our state leaders should be helping us do this.

Hi Aaron Baumholser, I am the co-founder and co-advocate for Indiana prison advocates. We are here to help the Inmates and their families get the rights back to be able to hug and kiss their loved ones when they come to visit. Many families travel several miles to see their incarcerated loved one. Also IDOC (Indiana department of corrections) is taking away the inmates right to hold their child(ren) when they come to visit. We feel that by taking all of this away from families is hurting the bond that the inmates and families have. Also IDOC is trying is take away the privilege of the inmates and their families to have snacks and drinks during the visits. We are trying to change that too. Again it goes back to families driving long distance to see their incarcerated loved one. Children do not understand why they can’t sit on their mom or dads lap when they go see them when they have done that before or why they can’t eat or have something to drink when they had that before when they have went to visit. We have made a difference so far with our website and petition. There are two prisons that have now changed their visit policy back to the way it used to be and others are going to go back. Once all of the prisons have returned to the visitation policy that they had where inmates and their families can hug, kiss, hold hands, children can sit on their parents laps, and everyone can have snacks and drinks again during the visit then we will be working hard to change what ever needs to be changed within the prison system. This is a first step. I hope this helps you to have a better understanding as to what we are doing and what we are about. If you have any other questions about what we are doing within our mission please feel free to leave another comment, or you can email my co-founder Kelly, her email is on the front page of this website or you can email me at [email protected]. Thank you and have a wonderful day

Yes!

I support this petition.

Don't understand what their goal is. I can't imagine how this helps anything

Taking away the Bibles, tables, food, toys and allowing a hug and kiss at the beginning and end of visits goes against the Policy & Procedure mission of trying to keep inmates and families stay connected. Those things helped the families as much as the inmates. Totally an injustice to all having taken these things away!

I believe in what's right.

People need to be able to see family and freinds to help. Being in there hard enough not being around family

I support this wrong or right. Everybody needs hugs

Please let's keep visits where we can at least Hug our children they may be locked up like animals but they are still Humans and need to be treated that way I can't get to see my son much but when I do i need that hug and so does he to know someone cares.

THIS IS UNFAIR AND THEY KNOW IT

I do not understand how we have to bring $30 for the inmates to take the food back with them. What about the families that has to drive a few hours to come and see their love ones; have to suffer not to eat the whole time. The kids have to eat in a chair instead of at a table. Also, taking the toys away from the kids in the play area was not a good idea. How do you expect a child to sit hours not understand or knowing what to do. The plus program for the inmates to help them in the long run with their families is a good thing but taking privileges away from the vistors is not a good idea. Its breaking up the families and causing problems. No visitor wants to suffer for something that they did not do wrong. It is not fair to us at all.

My son is 9 and my daughter is 6 years old and I dont understand why they cant have no food. I feel that is not fair to us

My daughter is 2yrs old and I dont understand why they cant have no food. I feel that you having us suffer for something that we didnt do.

Everyone needs human contact, and it is so important for those that are separated from their loved ones while incarcerated. Real contact visits remind those incarcerated of what they have waiting for them when they are done serving their time, paying their dues for their mistakes and crimes.

I need the bond with my step dad, you have taken away the only thing we have. We are not robots to just sit and look at each other because a line divide us thats no bond at all.

It's very sad that they have taken away the joy of visiting you feel no connection whatsoever it feels more like a non contact visit without the glass. Bring back the bond not everyone should pay for someone else mistakes.

The privileges of being able to physically connect with a loved one by being able to hug and kiss them, hold their hands, and take a picture that they can remember the visit by in an embrace is important to the inmate's connection with the outside world and the people that love them. By taking these things away the IDCO is dehumanizing and ostracizes them from their loved ones.

Please let them get there visit back they need the bond with there love ones