Episode 55: Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents with Guest Melissa Radcliff

Episode 55: Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents with Guest Melissa Radcliff

 

We told y’all that we’d be back! In this episode we welcome Melissa Radcliff, Program Director of Our Children’s Place of Coastal Horizons in Wilmington, NC. After talking a little about her background and how she got involved with the statewide program, Radcliff shares her dedication to working with incarcerated parents, their families, and supporting them through the reentry process.

 

BJ and Melissa then discuss the role we as a community play in supporting children with current or previously incarcerated parents and helping them share their stories. It’s an unfortunate truth that they are often forgotten in the general conversation about improving the reentry process for incarcerated persons. The conversation then focuses specifically on the mission of Our Children’s Place and the FRESH (Family Re-Entry Support and Help) program, and how their efforts aim to develop opportunities for children to connect with their incarcerated parents and generate community support for the children whose parents are incarcerated or being released. BJ also explains how she and YFO became involved in the programs and the many ways that learning how to properly interact with law enforcement can help these same people and their families.   

 

BJ and Melissa emphasize the importance of empowering these children to take control of their own futures and not feel confined to the circumstances of their parents. The conversation shifts to the current initiative called Reentry 2030, which aims to improve reentry success for people exiting prison and those under supervision. The conversation ends with a reiteration of how difficult reentry is for incarcerated people and their families, as well as the devastating impacts these obstacles can have on their efforts to move forward.

 

More about Melissa Radcliff

Melissa Radcliff has been with Our Children’s Place of Coastal Horizons based in Wilmington, NC since February 2007. Our Children’s Place is a statewide education and advocacy program focused on community support for children of incarcerated and returning parents. She has worked in the area of victim services since the 1990s at a domestic violence agency, rape crisis center, prosecutor’s office, and police department in Rhode Island, Arizona, and North Carolina. She is currently overseeing the FRESH (Family Re-Entry Support and Help) program in 14 re-entry prison facilities. Melissa has extensive experience working with correctional facilities, community organizations, and other entities to develop opportunities for children to connect with their incarcerated parents and generate community support for the children whose parents are incarcerated or being released.