Travel Pouch Collection for Prison Families of New York

Peace and Social Action would like your help collecting items for travel pouches for families making long trips by bus to visit incarcerated parents in distant parts of New York State.

For children: activity books, golf pencils, crayons, small stuffed animals, bottled water

For adults: mouthwash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toiletries, bandaids, tylenol, kleenex, baby wipes (for hands as well as bottoms), disposable diapers

For teenagers (13-35): toiletries, Small Games or Puzzles (not noisy or electronic, or with small pieces)

Children’s clothing for winter lineup for buses: scarves, hats, mittens, boots

Please put all items in the basket in the LIBRARY. When the basket is full, Peace and Social Action will ship the items to Prison Families of New York, the organization that is collecting them for distribution.

120,000 children in New York State have some experience of incarceration of a parent. 87% of the state’s prison population comes from NYC. The state operates 70 prisons that hold 65,000 prisoners.

The round trip BY BUS for families of those incarcerated in prisons at long distances from their homes can take 18 hours or more, not including a 6-hour visit. Large numbers of women and children wait to board them, and lines in the bus terminal often form at 4 a.m. The New York State Department of Correctional Services (DoCS) provides free buses from Albany for points west and south and drop their passengers off at the prisons. To get to Albany for this connection, visitors must take commercial buses. There are usually two DoCS buses, each with about 60 seats. Buses have toilets, but they are not comfortable for long trips.

Supplies and checks may be sent to Prison Families of New York, 40 North Main Avenue, Albany, NY 12203. 518-453-6659. Alison Coleman, Director

Click to download a PDF of the Travel Pouch Flyer.