Kids Who Haven’t Seen Their Moms for Months Will Ride Buses to Decatur and Logan Prisons for Mother’s Day Visits, No Thanks to Governor Rauner and the Budget Impasse

CHICAGO, IL. –  Long overdue visits between moms and kids are happening this month after three groups–Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA), Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration (MUAVI), and Nehemiah Trinity Rising–raised over $12,000 to ensure bus trips from Mother’s Day weekend through the summer. Many of these kids, ranging from toddlers to teens, have not seen their moms since December, after the Illinois budget impasse triggered the shuttering of crucial programs for families impacted by incarceration.

“We need to see her. The kids need to know she’s ok, and she needs to know that we are waiting for her when she comes home.”

On Saturday morning, young children and teens will be up early to arrive by 7am at a bus secured by over 200 donors who believe kids and moms have a right to see visit one another. They will make the 180 mile trip to Decatur with caregivers and volunteers. When they arrive they will not have to meet in the confined space of the visiting room, but a large gymnasium where they can sit, play, and run around with their moms. They will also share a lunch prepared by the other women in the prison. The volunteers will be ready with activities, and to provide support and encouragement to kids who will be looking forward to their next visit. Moms inside will await those visits too. Some moms have months left on their sentences, and some have decades, meaning that these visits are the foundation of their relationship with their kids.

Over 215,000 women are incarcerated in the US. While the majority of minor children whose fathers are incarcerated live with their moms, the majority of kids whose mothers are incarcerated live with a family member, friend, or in state care, making it even harder to visit the prison. Mothers report fewer visits than fathers throughout their imprisonment. And though Governor Rauner talks about lowering the incarceration rate in Illinois, the budget impasse has cut crucial programs that reduce recidivism, including visits with children.

The bus program is expensive, even with volunteer labor. Currently buses are only scheduled through the end of July. Throughout the summer CGLA, MUAVI, and Trinity Nehemiah rising will convene meetings with family and community members who benefit from this program. They hope to partner with other organizations whose members have suffered defunded programs and austerity, including faith, labor, education, housing and healthcare organizations.