Support for Teens with Incarcerated Family Members

For most teens, home is a place where they can be themselves, where they can relax and breathe, and where they feel safe, nourished, and valued. For teens who carry the weight of having a loved one incarcerated or deported, home is also a place where they are not judged, where they are seen, heard, and respected by adults, and where they find unexpected connections with teens in similar situations. In the arts-based support meetings provided by The PATHfinder (Paving a Trail of Hope) and POPS (Pain of the Prison System) Clubs, these young people have a place that, in their words, “feels like home.”

Drawing on their understanding of innocent young people who have been traumatized and stigmatized by their association with the criminal justice system, Friedman, as well as Leticia Longoria-Navarro and Victor Trillo of the PATHfinder Network, as well as youth they serve, will discuss, Supporting teens affected by parental incarceration and emotional struggles is critical—safe spaces like The PATHfinder and POPS Clubs help them share pain, build judgment-free friendships, and express themselves through writing and art. Schools and communities must promote mental health awareness, challenge stigma, and create empowering environments that foster healing, connection, and activism.

https://thepathfinderclub.org/

Amy Friedman Leticia Longoria-Navarro

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Amy Friedman an author, Out of the Woods Press editor, and criminal justice activist, founded POPS the Club in 2013, with her second husband, Dennis Danziger, a writer and high school teacher, as an inclusive space for youth who have been stigmatized and silenced by their experiences with the criminal justice system. Having been previously married to a man who was in prison, Amy’s stepdaughters inspired her to find a way to support youth in ways that her girls never were. From a single club at Venice High School in Los Angeles, POPS the Club expanded to schools across the country.

Leticia Longoria Navvarro is the Executive Director of The Pathfinder Network, a nonprofit that provides justice system-impacted individuals and families the tools and support they need to be safe and thrive in our communities. Having been personally impacted by parental and family incarceration, Leticia is an expert on the profound impact of incarceration on the whole family. She is an advocate and founding team member of The PATHfinder Club.