All I Ever Wanted … Stories of Children of the Incarcerated

What is so important about maintaining ties with a parent behind bars? Isn't it better to keep a child away from prison or jail? These are the questions that come up far too often among those who are caring for the children who are left behind, be they kin, care providers, social service workers, or teachers … This volume allows ten of the 2.7 million children with incarcerated parents living in the United States to answer these questions through stories that the reader will never forget. In an era of broken families, silence, stigma, and shame around incarceration affecting one generation after another, the voices of these young people give a resounding YES to the need for connection, breaking out of the stigma and silence, while proudly and hopefully speaking each young person's truth. They are a testimony to the human spirit, which cannot be broken, and an invitation to all of us to truly listen to the voices of this too often invisible population. This volume is published by Herstory Writers Workshop in partnership with Prison Families Anonymous.