The Garrison & Friends Project is
fiscally sponsored by
Texas Prisons Community Advocates
Mission
The mission of Garrison & Friends Project is to destigmatize childhood trauma thereby giving children a larger forum of support and reducing shame and the negative statistics that affect their futures, which guide the success of all of society.
Vision
To affect change in the following ways:
Children's books: Our Garrison & Friends book series addresses the common issues children may encounter when a parent or close family member becomes incarcerated. The first section of these books speaks directly to children and offers them information and support from children who are just like them. The back sections are written for adults. One section is for caregivers by Juliana Perez, a licensed clinical social worker and chemical dependency counselor. She addresses the importance of a caregiver's support in maintaining close relationships with the incarcerated parent, and she explains age-appropriate ways to approach the difficult conversations that come with incarceration. The following section is for incarcerated parents by Jim Guevara, an incarcerated parent, about responsibility and practical ways to foster relationships with children despite the distance.
Art Exhibits: Exhibits by Jim Guevara give insight into the daily lives of incarcerated people, the struggles they overcome, and the successes they celebrate. The purpose of these exhibits is to help destigmatize incarcerated people and open up a conversation about why a mentality shift is needed in this country. Mass incarceration has proven to be unsuccessful in reducing crime rates, and heavy sentencing does nothing but destroy families, create financial hardship, and place unnecessary shame and stigma on children who don't deserve it.
Community Resources and Outreach: Through our partnership with Juliana Perez and using her curriculum, developed over her 30 years of childhood development teaching, the Garrison & Friends project will take resources and information to the communities that need it most. We can educate parents on how their children develop, what trauma can cause in a child's life, and the importance of play and connection for children. Children of incarcerated parents are six times more likely to become incarcerated themselves. With an understanding of their child's development, parents can and will make better life choices, stopping the cycle of incarceration and creating a more stable society.
Legislation: The Garrison & Friends Project would like to find legislative support and pass a bill that provides for child-centered awareness and procedures during a parent's arrest when children are present. As mass incarceration policies have increased over time, so has the number of children exposed to arrest procedures. Children do not use reason and logic during arrest procedures. They are traumatized by what they perceive as an attack on their parent/parents, leading to mistrust of the police and other authority figures. This mistrust stays with them as they grow, and the result of heavy mass incarceration policies along with police misconduct has caused a societal shift in public and police interaction. This trauma can be mitigated with child-centered arrest procedures.