Description: Help Us Build a Lifeline for Families of Incarcerated Youth

5 years ago, my entire life changed in an instant. I was thrown into a system I didn’t understand, with no roadmap or guidance, and no one to help me navigate what came next. I was trying to survive a system that families like mine are expected to figure out on their own. The truth is, incarceration is served by the entire family. The confusion, fear, isolation, financial strain, the silence. No one prepares you for it. I've walked this journey largely alone for years.

But something has changed. Instead of letting this experience break me, I’ve made the decision to build something from it—something that didn’t exist when I needed it most. I am co-founding a non-profit called The Arrested Development Project (ADP). Our mission is to provide a place for parents and families to find guidance, access to resources and referrals, a safe, judgment-free community to connect with others walking the same path, and the tools to help families stabilize—because when families are supported, outcomes for their loved ones improve.

This isn’t just an idea. This is something I have lived and know is desperately needed. We are currently in the early stages of building ADP, and we are raising funds to take the first critical steps of filing our nonprofit paperwork in California, securing the legal foundation of our organization, and building the heart of this project, our website. The funds will cover filing fees, website development, outreach materials, and more to help establish the non-profit and provide resources to families.

Any contribution will help bring this project to life. If you are unable to donate, simply sharing this would mean just as much. Thank you for being part of it.

— Alicia