Trinity, a member of the Family Life Behind Bars community, posed this question:

My mother was just sentenced to 3-9 years for second degree grand larceny. I am a mom of two teenagers. Life seems so unfair. The pain and worry are almost to much to bare. I am wondering if anyone knows if there is any other way to get money on a commisary account other then by mail or dropping it off? Are there any support groups for families of the prisoners? What services are available to inmates? Is there a website for Bedford Hills Correctional Facility?

I decided to answer those questions this week in my monthly video column:

Click on the player above or download this video here. (iPhone version)
If you are a child of someone who is incarcerated and you have a question for me, you have three options:

1. Post a question in the comments section below,
2. Send an email to questions@livesinfocus.org,
3. Call (646) 867-1891 to leave a message.

I also welcome questions from others who might simply be interested in knowing more about how the life of children is affected when a parent is incarcerated.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: Have you turned to support groups and how did that help you through this time in your life?

[Use the comments feature below or call (646) 867-1891 to leave an audio message.]

Davian Reynolds, our 16-year-old video columnist from Brooklyn, NY describes how he dealt with the separation from his mother during holiday season while she was in prison.

Family Life Behind Bars previously interviewed Dr. Harland Kessaris, a psychologist who specializes in re-entry of incarcerated individuals back into family and society, who provided some insight on how to cope with the absence of a loved one during the holiday season.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: What tips do you have to deal with separation during the holiday seasons?

[Use the comments feature below or call (646) 867-1891 to leave an audio message.]

Click on the player above or download this video here. (iPhone cellular version)

In this audio column, Emani Davis, the director of Project Family Connect and the daughter of an incarcerated man, talks about her father’s declining health and the threat of losing him after 24 years spent waiting for his release.

If you are someone who has a family member who is incarcerated and you have a question for me, you have three options:

1. Post a question in the comments section below,
2. Send an email to questions@livesinfocus.org,
3. Call (646) 867-1891 to leave a message.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: Should elderly and sick prisoners be released from prison to spend their remaining years with their families?

Do you have a sick relative in prison? How are you trying to help them?

[Use the comments feature below or call (646) 867-1891 to leave an audio message.]

As president-elect Barack Obama prepares for his presidency, Makeba reflects on what his leadership might be for people affected by incarceration.

If you are a child of someone who is incarcerated and you have a question for me, you have three options:

1. Post a question in the comments section below,
2. Send an email to questions@livesinfocus.org,
3. Call (646) 867-1891 to leave a message.

I also welcome questions from others who might simply be interested in knowing more about how the life of children is affected when a parent is incarcerated.

Click on the player above or download this video here. (iPhone version)

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: How has your parent’s incarceration affected your interest in staying in school?

[Use the comments feature below or call (646) 867-1891 to leave an audio message.]

In this video column, Davian Reynolds, our 16-year-old video columnist from Brooklyn, reflects on why Barack Obama’s victory in the 2008 presidential election means so much for kids like him who have or have had or might wind up having a parent who is incarcerated. (more…)

In this video column, Emani Davis, the director of Project Family Connect and the daughter of an incarcerated man, talks about  the stigma that she experienced as the child of an incarcerated parent and her desire to address the specific needs of this group.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: How has having an incarcerated parent affected the way you see yourself?

[Use the comments feature below or call (646)-867-1891 to leave an audio message.]

If you are a child of someone who is incarcerated and you have a question for me, you have three options:

1. Post a question in the comments section below,
2. Send an email to questions@livesinfocus.org,
3. Call (646) 867-1891 to leave a message.

I also welcome questions from others who might simply be interested in knowing more about how the life of children is affected when a parent is incarcerated.

Click on the player above or download this video here. (iPhone version)

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: How has your parent’s incarceration affected your interest in staying in school?

[Use the comments feature below or call (646) 867-1891 to leave an audio message.]

In this video column, Davian Reynolds, a 16-year-old from Brooklyn, reflects on how children who have an incarcerated parent can face questions, scrutiny and mistrust from other students, teachers and the administration.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: How did your friends reacted when you told them you have a parent who is incarcerated? If your teachers know, how do you think they treat you differently?

[Use the comments feature below or call (646) 867-1891 to leave an audio message.]

Click on the player above or download this video here. (iPhone version)

Thirty-year-old Emani Davis has spoken out on behalf of young people whose parents have been incarcerated since she was 14 years old. Her own father has been imprisoned for more than a decade.

Earlier this year, she was named the director of Project Family Connect for New York’s Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Her focus is to make judges and attorneys more aware of how having a parent in jail impacts children and young adults. And, after years of struggle, she says that some in the court system are finally starting to listen.

In her monthly audio column, Davis will share her thoughts and experiences, and answers questions that you may have about how incarceration is affecting your own families.

If you have a question for Emani, you have three options:

1) Post a question in the comments section below,

2) Send an email to questions@livesinfocus.org,

3) Call (646) 867-1891 to leave a message.

Emani also welcomes questions from others who might simply be interested in knowing more about how the life of families is affected when a parent is incarcerated.

Lives in Focus is relaunching its monthly video column by 23-year-old Makeba Lavan, a young woman whose mother was incarcerated until late 2005.

If you are a child of someone who is incarcerated and you have a question for Makeba, you have three options:

1) Post a question in the comments section below,

2) Send an email to questions@livesinfocus.org,

3) Call (646) 867-1891 to leave a message.

Makeba also welcomes questions from others who might simply be interested in knowing more about how the life of children is affected when a parent is incarcerated.

Click on the player above or download this video here. (iPhone version)