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)

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: How do you think President-elect Obama will affect the way you see yourself as a child of an incarcerated parent?

[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)

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)

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.

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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.

These folks were motivated by a desire to share their experience so that others who were in their position realized they were not alone. But these video workshops provide another important benefit.

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These young adults and teenagers get to interact with some CUNY graduate students who I think are fantastic role models. It also gives them a chance to learn skills that could help get them jobs later, like being a video-journalists, or event videographers or in the entertainment industry. The possibilities are endless especially after we go through a series of workshops that teach students how to use digital cameras and audio recorders. We’ll also focus on using Apple computers for video, photo and sound editing and we’ll explore how to use several Internet tools for sharing information.

One of the top goals of the Family Life Behind Bars project is to give back to the community that the project is documenting. Journalists are often accusing of swooping down for story, asking others to share very personal stories, and then moving on. Here is a chance to start a different relationship.

If you are part of an organization that works with people who have a family member in prison, and you want to arrange a workshop, I would be happy to work with you.

Did I mention that there is no charge for the workshops?

If you are interested, please contact me at sandeep@livesinfocus.org.