Through Connections, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) provides holistic services and programs for incarcerated parents and their families.

• Visits to Mom provides approximately 700 visits annually for Chicago children to keep in touch with mothers during their incarceration. Free bus transportation is available to Decatur, Greenville, Lincoln and Pekin Correctional Centers. Sixty volunteer drivers provide transportation (via cars) from the Chicago area to prisons at Dwight and Kankakee Correctional Centers.
  
  
• Relatives As Parents Program (RAPP) is a support group for caregivers who accompany children visiting parents at the Decatur and Lincoln Correctional Centers. While children visit their parents, caregivers meet for support and informative meetings.
  
  
• Family Services are available for women returning from prison to Chicago and for their families. Children’s groups, family events, caregiver support, as well as formal reunification services are available to qualified families at no cost. Families are also connected to local resources such as food pantries, job training programs, substance abuse treatment services and other services that address critical life needs.
  

Learn More