Preserving Liberty in the Commonwealth

We believe people closest to a problem are best suited to identifying solutions. That's why we work to connect people who are directly impacted by policies and laws to those who have the power to make sweeping changes. Jaden Spence is one of them. He pressed his support of the Family Preservation and Accountability Act to a committee of House representatives by sharing his experience growing up with an incarcerated parent. Immediately after his testimony, that committee passed the bill on to its last major hurdle, the floor of the full House. Here's Jaden's story..

Every week, children across the state receive letters from Kentucky prisons. Some are written on lined notebook paper. Some are typed. Some are messy with corrections and crossed-out words. But almost all of them contain the same things: Regret and fear about what is happening to their children while they are gone.

This week’s word from the Kentucky legislature is “conviction.”  Most people hear that word and think about a courtroom. A judge. A sentence. A permanent mark that follows someone long after they have paid their debt. In Kentucky, a conviction can become a kind of shadow. It shows up on job applications, housing forms, and background checks. It can close doors before someone even gets a chance to knock. 

I was two years old when my mom went to jail. I do not remember everything she remembers. I was too young. What I do remember is what came after. I remember missing her. I remember confusion. I remember loss before I had the words for it.