Thread: We’re in the middle of a pandemic and also a long overdue moment when people are talking about our prison system in a real way. For those of us with loved ones behind bars, it’s a terrifying (re: the virus) & validating (re: humanity/respect for our family members) time.

I keep seeing people asking what they can do beyond posting online. You’ve seen the numbers. One in two adults in the U.S. has had an immediate family member in prison or jail. More than *5 million children* have an incarcerated parent. So what can you do?

I can promise you that the human beings behind these stats are people in your life. You know someone—or someone who knows someone. Ask them: Is there anything I can do to help? Are there any changes I can make in my daily life that will make a difference? The answer is yes.

I do *not* represent or speak for all children of incarcerated parents, but here are some small/easy things you can do: Don’t say “inmate, felon, convict.” Don’t shop at places that use prison labor. Don’t watch shows/movies that stereotype & make tropes out of people in prison.

*Don’t* EVER joke about prison rape, which has been so normalized as a punchline in our media that it literally hurts. Google PREA & think about our parents & our loved ones when your favorite comedian jokes about prison rape. Do research. Read a book. Write to someone in prison.

If you have the means, donate your resources so they can buy stamps & phone time & basic items that cost more in prison than they do out here. Sign a petition to get people in your state, your city, your backyard, out of prisons & jails during COVID.

For 12 years, my mom has been reduced to an inmate, a number, unworthy of an identity. This is what the system does to *millions* of people. Tell your friends & family to have empathy. Remind them that these are not just numbers—they are mothers & fathers & siblings & partners.