ATTN: WE ARE NOT AFFILATED WITH A FACEBOOK GROUP CALLED MOTHERS OF INCARCERATED SONS (MIS)
Nonprofit organization
Our acronym is M.I.S.S., but we do not exclude incarcerated daughters.
"Where there is no vision…the people perish."
Solitary confinement is unproductive. The lack of social simulation is harmful regardless of the inmate’s mental status, and studies have shown that isolation can have psychological implications. The mentally disabled are extremely vulnerable to this type of punishment. It can actually exacerbate their already fragile mental condition; they should not be dehumanized because of their illness. They are human beings! How did this country reverse back to the barbaric abuses and neglects that were once denounced? It was those neglectful practices, such as isolation, that partially lead to the outcry for de-institutionalization. We feel that solitary confinement constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment," which is prohibited in the eighth amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
In addition, when the mentally ill are released from prison, they do not have adequate housing. Thus, they wander the streets, break into abandoned buildings for shelter, are taken advantage of, and use illegal drugs to self-medicate. Finding housing is always difficult for ex-offenders, but the challenge is even more acute for the mentally ill. "For the severely mentally ill, there is virtually no facility designed for long-term inpatient care," says Sherri Sullivan, director of Bridgeview Manor, the only residential treatment center in Ohio that accepts the indigent mentally ill. "If they exist, they exist as a group home, and most group homes don't offer treatment."
If you have a son or daughter incarcerated and you feel the way I do, please sign-up and become a member. We are stronger together!
If we want change, we will have to fight for it. We cannot hide from it. "God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers."
Rhonda Robinson,
M.I.S.S. Founder
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela
Behind Bars, Mentally Ill Inmates Are Often Punished For Their Symptoms
A M.I.S.S. member was chosen to tell her story on the OWN network’s show ‘The Book of John.’
You can watch the full episode of Season 1, ( THE MID-NIGHT SERMON, 108) by clicking the following link and signing-up through your cable company to the OWN Network's mobile app. http://www.oprah.com/own-thebookofjohngray/The-Emotional-Reality-of-Having-a-Family-Member-in-Prison-Video
Click the following link to listen to the Portland, Oregon KBOO radio show featuring M.I.S.S. members : M.I.S.S. Members' Radio Interview
Birthdays
"I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all the beautiful and courageous mothers of MISS for their unwavering support and loyalty toward their loved ones, as well as to the greater cause at hand. I also am very grateful for the extremely thoughtful and generous outpouring of positive energy in my direction. The letters have been well received. I am sending each of you all my very best."
With love, Cameron Douglas
(Note: Cameron is the son of actor Michael Douglas)
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A message from former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick:
"M.I.S.S.
Thank you so very much for your continued encouragement & support. You all are an incredible blessing to me, and so many of us. Blessings to you & your families."
Kwame
