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, 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)

Davian Reynolds, a 16-year-old from Brooklyn, is a poised young man. He is joining the Family Life Behind Bars project as a columnist writing about his experiences growing up in the foster care system.

He attended several of the video training workshops offered by the project.

While he is quiet in person, he has a lot to share. Please watch this video in which he introduces himself:

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

The document Davian mentions, Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Bill of Rights, is attached in the previous link as a PDF. Just click on the link to download it.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: What are some impressions you have formed about your incarcerated parent? And when you visit, how true is that impression compared to the real person?

[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 Davian, 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.

Davian 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 for slideshow

Over the course of several perfectly sunny Saturday afternoons, I gathered a group of teenagers and young adults who have in some way been affected by having an incarcerated parent. We met at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism, where I planned to teach them how to use video to document how their parents’ incarceration has affected their lives. (more…)