-
Continue reading →: Faith, Journaling, or Therapy?Exploring Coping Tools for Long Sentences and How to Support Your Loved One’s Healing Long sentences come with more than just time—they come with grief, emotional fatigue, anger, and the slow, daily weight of endurance. If you love someone serving a long sentence, you’ve probably asked yourself: How can I help…
-
Continue reading →: Patriotism & Pain: Navigating July 4th When Freedom Feels ComplicatedAn Emotional Check-In for Those Loving Someone Behind Bars Red, white, and blue. Fireworks in the sky. Flags on every front porch. For most people, July 4th is about celebration. For those of us with a loved one behind bars, it’s often a different kind of day. Independence Day can…
-
Continue reading →: Red, White, and Write: Holiday Letter Prompts for July 4th
Fun and Heartfelt Ways to Celebrate Freedom, Love, and Connection—One Message at a Time Just because your partner can’t see the fireworks doesn’t mean they can’t feel the spark. July 4th can be a bittersweet holiday for couples separated by incarceration. But one way to keep the connection alive is…
-
Continue reading →: How to Handle Social Judgment About Your Relationship
Affirmations and Tips for Loving Out Loud—Even When Others Don’t Understand There’s a unique kind of courage it takes to love someone who’s incarcerated. Not just because of the distance or the challenges—but because of the judgment. You’ve probably heard it all: “You could do better.”“Why would you waste your…
-
Continue reading →: What Can Kids Understand About Prison?
Tips for Honest, Age-Appropriate Conversations with Children When a parent is incarcerated, the whole family feels it—including the children. But many caregivers are left wondering, What do I say? How much do I tell them? Will they even understand? The truth is, kids understand more than we think. And what they…
-
Continue reading →: From Setbacks to Strength: Dealing with Parole Denials as a Couple
Turning Pain Into Purpose, Together There’s no sugarcoating it—parole denials hurt. Whether it was the first review or the fifth, hearing “denied” feels like someone punched you in the gut and stole the air from your chest. And when you’re navigating that pain as a couple, it can shake your foundation. But…
-
Continue reading →: Open When Letters: Summer Edition10 Creative “Open When” Ideas for a Stronger Connection This Season Summer can feel long when you’re separated by distance and prison walls. But love doesn’t stop because the days get hotter—it just finds new ways to shine through. One of the most personal and powerful ways to stay connected…
-
Continue reading →: How to Create a Reentry Binder for Your Loved OneBuild a Roadmap Home—One Document at a Time Reentry doesn’t start at the gate. It starts now. Whether your loved one is months or even years from release, preparing early can make the transition smoother, safer, and more successful. One of the best tools you can create from the outside…
-
Continue reading →: Summer Survival for Prison WivesHow to Stay Mentally and Emotionally Strong When the Heat and Emotions Rise Summer is often seen as a season of joy, vacations, and sunshine. But for prison wives, it can feel more like a pressure cooker. The brutal heat, stressful visits, long distances, and overwhelming expectations can all weigh…
-
Continue reading →: When Everyone’s Moving On but You’re Still WaitingOn Weddings, Vacations, Baby Showers, and the Life You Thought You’d Have by Now You scroll past the engagement photo.Another baby bump announcement.Someone just posted their anniversary dinner, all smiles and candlelight.And you? You’re staring at a collect call timer. Writing another letter. Budgeting stamps instead of plane tickets. There’s…
Welcome!
This is Chapters and Chains
Welcome to Chapters and Chains – I created this site for those looking for a way to connect with a loved one who is incarcerated and who are navigating the complex correctional systems across the United States.
Find out more about us in this LWW Podcast .
Here you will find ways to connect through reading and books with your loved one, information on how to put parole packets together, resources for reintegration and helpful planning documents. All resources are and will always be free or low-cost.
However, if you would like to say “Thank you!” you can donate below or at $ChaptersNChains
You can also purchase “Beyond the Walls: A Couples Communication Guidebook” that helps fund this site and the work that we do!
Chapters and Chains 