A four-hour drive each way, on a Saturday, to sit at a table for ninety minutes. That’s what it takes for a seven-year-old to see her dad.
Most of these families lose the visit over a car, not over a choice.
Drive Families to Visitation
Prisons sit hours outside the city and most families don't have a car that will make it. A monthly carpool keeps kids in front of a parent, and that measurably cuts reentry failure.
What you'll need
- A van or a car with a good back seat, plus current insurance
- The visitation calendar and the unit's dress code, in writing
- Snacks and gas money for the trip home, plus a full tank both ways
Pitfalls
- Read the dress code out loud to everyone the night before. Families get turned away at the door for a tank top.
- Bring quarters. Vending machines are the only food, and most units don't take cards.
- Same weekend every month. Kids count the days, and a cancellation lands hard.
I was in prison and you came to me. — Matthew 25:36