I couldn't even begin to express to you in words how fulfilling that was to my soul to be able to give my mother a hug. For me to give her a kiss. For me to be able to sit in her lap. If I hadn't been able to do that, I would have felt very empty then, as a child, and maybe still now.

Because I always had contact in some form, whether it was writing or phone calls or those visits, with my mother - I understand the strength of family. When its hard times, you stick together, and that was just a hard time.

Excerpt from: San Francisco Partnership for Incarcerated Parents "Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Bill of Rights"