My Family Comic is an interactive, family-centered comic book created to strengthen the bond between incarcerated parents and their children through creative storytelling, shared reflection, and participatory drawing activities. Rooted in trauma-informed principles and restorative practices, this innovative tool is designed to foster emotional connection, communication, and a sense of continuity in family identity—despite the physical barriers of incarceration.
Why This Matters
More than 5 million children in the United States—approximately 1 in 14—have experienced the incarceration of a parent at some point in their lives, according to a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Black and Latino children are disproportionately impacted, with 1 in 9 Black children and 1 in 28 Latino children experiencing parental incarceration compared to 1 in 57 white children. The consequences are far-reaching: children with incarcerated parents are more likely to experience trauma, economic hardship, instability in caregiving arrangements, stigma, and academic and behavioral challenges.
Research shows that maintaining connections between incarcerated parents and their children can reduce recidivism, support positive behavioral change, and promote successful reentry. For children, staying connected to a parent through meaningful engagement has been shown to improve emotional well-being, increase academic resilience, and support identity development during critical stages of growth.
The Role of My Family Comic
My Family Comic leverages the universal language of visual storytelling to break down emotional and communicative barriers. Unlike traditional visitation or letter writing alone, this comic book format allows for a shared narrative experience—one where children and parents can co-create stories, explore their values, imagine futures together, and reflect on real-life experiences in safe, age-appropriate ways.
Features of the comic include:
DIY drawing prompts where families design characters that represent themselves or their experiences.
Joint storytelling pages encouraging parents and children to build worlds or adventures together.
Reflection questions that promote emotional honesty, healing conversations, and trust-building.
Cultural representation to ensure the comic resonates with diverse families and lived experiences.
Flexible usage in mailed exchanges, visiting rooms, educational programs, and reentry planning.
Impact Potential
By integrating literacy development, creative expression, and family healing into one accessible medium, My Family Comic aims to:
Reduce trauma symptoms by providing a creative outlet for processing emotions.
Support child development by reinforcing the presence and care of the parent.
Promote healing for incarcerated parents by helping them reconnect with their role in the family system.
Enhance reentry outcomes by sustaining the emotional and psychological ties that motivate reintegration.
This project also aligns with broader national and state-level efforts to support children of incarcerated parents, including the Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights, family visitation programs, and initiatives focused on maintaining family ties as a public safety and public health strategy.
In a world where incarceration often fractures family systems, My Family Comic offers a path to restore, reconnect, and reimagine what family connection can look like—even in the face of separation.