You Are Not Alone

Few events in life are more devastating than having a member of one’s family, or a close friend, incarcerated. Texas Inmate Families Association (TIFA) members have united to support families affected by having a loved one in the Texas criminal justice system and to improve the conditions and life chances of Texas inmates.

There are about 200,000 adult men and women incarcerated at any one time in county jails and state correctional facilities in Texas. The state has the unenviable distinction of having more individuals behind bars than any other state in the country. Left behind are family members and friends: 55 percent leave behind a spouse, and 85 percent or more leave behind a parent and/or a child. In fact, about 75 percent of male inmates and more than 95 percent of female inmates have a child younger than 18. More than half have a child younger than 10.