Letters: Visits help everyone
The Pennsylvania Prison Society, established in 1787, provides programs and services to enhance positive reintegration from prison to the community. We advocate for men and women while in prison and as they come home to enable them to be productive - to help support their families, to have safe and secure housing, and to be part of the community.
ISSUE | PRISONS
Visits help everyone
The Pennsylvania Prison Society, established in 1787, provides programs and services to enhance positive reintegration from prison to the community. We advocate for men and women while in prison and as they come home to enable them to be productive - to help support their families, to have safe and secure housing, and to be part of the community.
We applaud Jane Hainey, founder of Duals Round Trip Transportation, and the other 20 or so companies that help families visit loved ones in prisons in Pennsylvania ("Prison visits fuel a cottage industry," Aug. 26).
We have also been providing such bus rides for families for years. We travel to 25 correctional facilities, leaving from Center City monthly or bimonthly. Many trips leave at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m., and they are often sold out. Our new schedule and information about the trips are available at www.prisonsociety.org.
Everyone benefits when a person leaves prison and becomes a taxpaying citizen. Family support is one of the most important ways to make this happen, and helping to bridge the transportation challenge works. With more than 50,000 men and women in prison across Pennsylvania, the need is great, and the payoff for individuals, families, and their community is even greater.
Ann Schwartzman, executive director, Pennsylvania Prison Society, Philadelphia