Voices  of Incarceration Project

The Family Tree Center contracts with the Montana Department of Corrections to provide parenting classes and support for incarcerated mothers.   While working with the mothers who are incarcerated at Montana Women’s Prison we found that caregivers often struggle to meet the demands of children placed in their home, and often had little direct support available to them, either because they don’t know where to seek assistance or because of the stigma surrounding the incarceration of the children’s parents. To help support caregivers during these difficult months and possibly years of incarceration the VIP (Voices of Incarceration) Project was developed. VIP is designed to work with both the incarcerated parent and the caregivers so that the children have a stable, supportive environment in which they have the best chance of succeeding, both personally and socially. A VIP advocate is able to provide caregivers with information regarding community resources available in their area, explaining incarceration to children, and reunification plans. For more information please contact the VIP coordinator.