FLORIDA INSTITUTIONAL LEGAL SERIVCES, INC. (FILS)
Location: Gainesville, FL
Project Name: Florida Parental Rights Manual for Incarcerated Parents and their Families
Project goals:
- Produce a comprehensive Parental Rights Manual that can be updated and replicated in other states and regions across the country;
- Distribute hard copies of the Manual to incarcerated parents and their families, and post an electronic version of the Manual online so that it is widely available;
- Create constructive relationships with parenting instructors in Florida Department of Corrections facilities in order to allow continued access to incarcerated parents.
Project abstract:
Florida Institutional Legal Services, Inc. (FILS) is the only statewide legal services program in Florida dedicated to serving people who are institutionalized. Currently, FILS is investigating the specific issues facing incarcerated parents in Florida through direct outreach, aggressive use of the Florida Sunshine laws, legal research, and limited advocacy for individual clients with compelling and representative claims.
In Florida, 85% of the women in prison are mothers. There are currently no resources available to assist them in navigating the legal systems that impact their ability to visit with their children, retain custody of their children, and develop meaningful relationships with their children, both during incarceration and after release. FILS seeks to develop and produce a guide to parental rights and caregiver rights for families dealing with the incarceration of a parent, with specific attention to the needs of incarcerated mothers. By disseminating this resource throughout the Florida state prison system, FILS hopes to help make the system more transparent and navigable, thereby empowering incarcerated parents and their families to advocate for their rights.