Mental health is one of the most pressing, yet often overlooked, challenges facing individuals who are currently incarcerated and those who have been released. The trauma of incarceration doesn’t end at the prison gates. It ripples outward, touching families, neighborhoods, and entire communities.

When a parent or sibling is abruptly removed from a home, a child is left struggling to make sense of a deeply disruptive and painful event. That moment can shape a lifetime, influencing a child’s emotional stability, trust in institutions, and sense of safety. Inside the prison walls, the experience of incarceration itself can fundamentally alter a person’s mental state, often deepening existing struggles or creating new ones.

One striking example of public awareness came when state Sen.

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