I write to you with a heavy heart and personal turmoil. For the last 14 years, my husband has been alienated, confined within the ominous boundaries of an Illinois prison. My husband's youngest daughter, along with our other children, has been deprived the emotional warmth of a father's touch, a vital component to their emotional and psychological development. As a wife, I too am denied the basic human need to physically interact with the man I swore to spend the rest of my life with. The isolation due to incarceration is straining our relationships and eroding the essence of our humanity.

Preservation of family integrity should outlive any circumstances, including incarceration. Unfortunately, Illinois prisons do not offer extended family visits nor conjugal visits, an opportunity crucial for sustained family bonds. This not only affects me, it wreaks havoc on an estimated 84000 children in Illinois who have a parent in prison (Center for American Progress).

The American Psychological Association (APA) maintains that children with incarcerated parents are at higher risk for health, emotional, academic, and social problems. A simple act of facilitating family visits can alleviate these risks to a great extent. Our prison system focuses on punishment and too often overlooks the critical aspect of rehabilitation and reintegration. A system that promotes familial bonds can significantly enhance the chances of successful rehabilitation and result in lower recidivism rates.

The time to bring a shift in this grim reality has come. We need to stand unified for the introduction of policies that provide for extended family visits and conjugal visits in Illinois prisons. Let us promote a more humane and rehabilitative prison system, where the value of personal relationships is duly respected. Please support this cry for change—we need your signatures to make it happen.