Loved Ones Incarcerated

How To Start LOI Group

1. Locate church or school. Typically these locations do not charge a fee for group meetings.

a. Recommend culturally diverse location.

2. Schedule introductory meeting with officials, example:room scheduler, pastor, just to name a few.

a. Discuss LOI support group mission. Tie LOI mission into organization’s mission. Do your homework find out organization’s mission, sometimes located on oganization's website. Highlight in introductory meeting how LOI's mission ties into organization's mission.

B. Frequency of support group meetings; suggest begin once a month. One hour in length. Meetings can be shortened or made longer according to needs of group members.

C. Do you want group members to provide water, soda, cookies? Or do you want to have LOI support discussion group meeting without snacks. Whatever group members agree on is fine.

D. Ask for meeting evaluation from group members at conclusion of first meeting. Did members feel heard?

E. Contact location officials and provide feedback on continued use of space. And overall response from group members. Remember confidentiality is respected no details will be shared: names or people’s stories.

LOI meeting guidelines.

We are a group of people who have an incarcerated loved one/ family member. Some of us are raising either our own children or our children’s children; some have no children in the home. All are welcomed.

We are here to both learn from each others' experiences and to share our own experience, strength and hope. And share ideas that support our lives through the incarceration experience.

In order that all of us feel safe and comfortable at this meeting, we agree:

1. To keep confidentiality.
2. To respect others by not interrupting when others are talking, and by giving others a chance to talk.
3. To listen to others.
4. To accept differences.
5. To avoid giving advice, rather share your own experience using I statements.
6. To avoid killer statements such as everyone who works for the system is a fool, All inmates are__________all correctional officers are _____________.

Let’s begin with a check in.

Tell only what you are comfortable sharing.
1. Name
2. Who is incarcerated
3. Where they are incarcerated
4. Do you need time to speak ( is there an issue you need to talk about)?