Dear TA Families,

We are overwhelmed with excitement to introduce you to the Study Buddy Program, a program dedicated to working with the children of incarcerated men and women, and created by our inspiring student, Mary Wood.

Now we need more young people passionate about criminal justice reform and a commitment to working with children to become Study Buddies for this coming school year, and we are hoping your kids want to help.

Every day, I hear stories about the way compassionate, purposeful, committed education changes your children’s lives. I believe in the potency of individual mentors to change the lives of those they meet, and we are all in awe of the work Mary has done to create more of this change in the world.

Now it’s your turn to marvel as you listen to stories of your kids, helping other kids, as they make life just a little bit easier and kinder for their buddies. Read below for details about applying to be a Study Buddy, and please let us know if you have absolutely any questions.

Warmly,

Sasha DeWind, C.E.O.

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APPLICATION

Founded under THE LOHM Epic-Y Program for teen activists fighting for opportunities for the children of incarcerated parents, Study Buddies is a program dedicated to championing the children of incarcerated parents by providing academic and non-academic support through high school mentorship, while working to strengthen the bond between mother and child that is deeply weakened by incarceration.

Created in the winter of 2020 by Mary Wood, a student at the Hotchkiss School, Study Buddies was inspired by a meeting with Topeka Sam, the founder of LOHM who detailed the injustices within the female prison and probation system. Mary and her sister, Virginia, decided to take their resources and education and give back to the children who are left behind when their mother is taken from them.

WHY DO WE DO IT?

The U.S. has the world’s largest prison population with over 2.1 million individuals serving time, of which 1.3 million are women under supervision of the criminal justice system. Many of these women are incarcerated for non-violent crimes and are serving in some cases decade-long sentences.

During time spent in prison these women lose touch with their children, making it very difficult to rehabilitate their lives on the other side. These children often experience psychological and behavioral problems, insufficient sleep and poor nutrition, and higher odds of entering the prison system themselves (perpetuating the cycle of mass incarceration that disproportionately affects many minority families). These children are more likely to struggle in school, which in turn costs them future opportunities to thrive in higher education and beyond.