Confession #1: My son is in prison.
The truth will set you free.
My name is Bridget, and I have a son in prison.
Ernest Hemingway said, “Write hard and clear about what hurts.”
This hurts.
So, I’m writing.
There are nearly 2 million incarcerated individuals in the U.S.. All of them born to mothers. Some of us have even been good mothers by the standard definition. It matters to our daily lives, and to those of the American citizens who are currently incarcerated.
I am making the difficult choice to share thought-provoking and informative insights from a unique POV. Am I biased? Yes. Does this biased perspective have important insights for us all? Also, I believe, yes.
Welcome to Black Sheep Mom.
Tune into the drama.
Think docu-series; think saga. Because it is. Unscripted. This is real life, unfolding in a manner that we never planned to experience let alone discuss with you. It is hard. It is humbling. It is also an opportunity to learn.
Some of this will be my journal entries over the years. Some will be unfolding events (trust me, there are stories). Other posts will be news and info relevant to our experiences.
In all of this, I will fight to remain witty, authentic, and bold.
When?
I post one time per week, on Fridays. I might bring you personal experiences or funny-not-funny stories from my/our week. Other posts will illuminate how we got here. Some content might be a highlight of recent corrections matters (wow, what a mess), political decisions, or national justice-related news to consider.
How much?
To begin, all public posts are free. Just as I wish my son was.
Paid subscriptions are available for those who want to engage deeper. Paid posts are reserved for those interested in the nitty-gritty and for the comments/conversation. It is also a way to support my son and to keep our more personal details private-ish.
People often ask me what they can do or how they could help. Every paid subscription will fund my son’s commissary which buys him clothing and food as well as paper and stamps to write us. It also buys him books, as he has no access to TV nor the internet.
As you will come to learn, the cost to the families of inmates is unfathomable and at this time, he is not allowed to have a job in the DOC.
Who are we?
For reference, I will not out my son by name, number, image, or specifics. He is doing time in a maximum security prison and drawing attention to him is not wise. I understand curiosity, and I know that I would full-on Google to learn more if I were you. Of course, you are free to do so. I can ask you only to be kind, with his (and his family’s) safety in mind.
What I can promise is 100% honesty. I will not excuse, sugar-coat, nor share untruth about him, me, or our experiences. I will speak of his crime and how we ended up here. I will also write of his redemptive factors and of our hopes for days to come.
Talk soon.
Importantly: Subscribe below! There is a free option. You’ll get a heads up for each new post. If you are living with the experience of having an incarcerated loved one, this is your space too. Please reach out and share what hurts, what works, and what you know.
Maybe together we can find some peace.
This definitely caught my eye. Love how you’ve framed the situation and the stories to follow. My older brother ended up in max security and was eventually downgraded to medium. It was so rough on my parents and, of course, his wife and son, who was only twelve at the time of his incarceration. My brother spent thirteen years in prison. My heart goes out to you and your family.