Family Treatment Prison Visitation and Transportation Program

Location:  Volunteers of America of Minnesota, 7625 Metro Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN  55439

Days/Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Participants are: Children who live in Minnesota whose mothers have been incarcerated in federal prison at FCI-Pekin in Pekin, Illinois.

Fees: None

Contact: Sarah Dass
Program Phone: 952-945-4035 
Email: sdass@voamn.org

The Volunteers of America of Minnesota Family Treatment Program’s Prison Visitation and Transportation Program offers children who live in Minnesota the opportunity to visit their mothers who are incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution at Pekin, Illinois (FCI-Pekin).  (In the future, visits to other federal Correctional institutions may be added.) The program is intended to preserve and improve the relationship of these children with their mothers, in anticipation of the mothers’ future release and return home.  Additionally, the program helps participating children find comfort and constructively manage the many emotions they may experience as a result of having a parent in prison including stress, loss, shame and isolation. In order to travel to FCI-Pekin with our Prison Visitation and Transportation Program, each child must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.  Prison visits are scheduled on weekends (Friday morning through Sunday night) in February, May, August and November.  Program participation includes a pre-trip preparation meeting and a post-trip debriefing meeting to help support participating children and their caregivers before and after the trip.  For more information about our Prison Visitation and Transportation Program, please contact Sarah Dass at 952-945-4035 or sdass@voamn.org.

Visits: Bus, hotel and meals for the visits are arranged and paid for by the program. Two Volunteers of America of Minnesota social workers accompany each busload of children and caregivers on each trip.  The bus leaves from the Volunteers of America of Minnesota office in Golden Valley early on Friday morning.  The drive takes between eight and nine hours.  Children and caregivers visit the prison on Friday evening, on Saturday for a full day, and on Sunday morning. Pre-trip Preparation Meeting: At a Pre-trip Preparation Meeting, Volunteers of America of Minnesota social workers carefully prepare the children for the federal prison experience including what the visitation room looks like, what they can talk about, and the other people who will be present.  The meeting also explores the mix of strong emotions that children may experience as a part of their visit. The Pre-Trip Preparation Meeting helps the children understand that other children are in the same situation. Post-trip Debriefing Meeting: After the visit, a supportive debriefing meeting is held to help the children emotionally process the trip and plan ways to maintain contact with their mothers.  Caregivers are also supported in their roles with the children.