April 27, 2026 • 14 mins
When someone is incarcerated, they’re not the only ones impacted. Incarceration is tough on families both emotionally and financially. Loved Ones Link is a free bus program that helps families visit incarcerated loved ones in New York State prisons. Operated by Osborne Association, in partnership with The New York State Department of Corrections, the program provides free transportation from Brooklyn and the Bronx to upstate facilities in an effort to ease the emotional and financial burden on families, and lower recidivism rates. Our guests are OA Chief Program Officer Michelle Howard and Children, Youth & Family Services Director Tiffany Myrick.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to get Connected with Nina del Rio, a weekly
conversation about fitness, health and happenings in our community on
one zero six point seven Light FM.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, and thanks for listening to get connected. When
someone is incarcerated, not only are their lives impacted, but
prison can also be tough for families, both emotionally and financially.
Loved Ones Link is a free bus program that helps
families visit incarcerated loved ones in New York State prisons.
Operated by Osborne Association in partnership with the New York
(00:34):
State Department of Corrections. The program provides free transportation from
Brooklyn and the Bronx to upstate facilities in an effort
to ease the emotional and financial burden on families and
lower recidivism rates. My guests are Michelle Howard, Chief Program
Officer and Executive vice President, and Tiffany Myrik, Children Youth
and Family Service Director for Osborne Association. Ladies, thank you
(00:57):
for being on the show.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Thank you for having us, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
For the full schedule, and to reserve a seat. Families
can visit Osborneeny dot org slash bus and we will
start with you. Michelle Osborne House does many things. Can
you talk about the scope and the role of Osborne House.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Yes, the Osborne Association has been around for nearly one
hundred years supporting families that are impacted by the criminal
legal system. So we offer programming to keep people out
of jail, in prison, we offer services inside jails and prisons,
re entry support, and then we support families all along
the way.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
So regarding families, which is what we're focused on today,
how does incarceration impact families? Can you drill down a
little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
The families experienced the cost of incarceration alongside their loved one,
and that is through the separation from their loved one
from their family and community. It's also the financial cost
of being able to stay in time. It's very expensive
to be able to visit in person, and then there's
(02:06):
also the cost of staying in touch in other ways
through providing money on a loved one's commissary accounts to
support them, as well as the cost of emails and
correspondents back and forth with the loved one who's inside.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I think it's really interesting on your site. I was
reading about visiting and keeping in communication. As you say
in the money involved visiting someone is not straightforward at all.
Even prison visits have been limited last year since a
guard strike, so that's on top of everything else.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Absolutely visiting still has not been restored to the level
and availability that it was before last year's strike, so
weekday visiting has not resumed in many places, so weekends
are critical times for families to be able to visit
their loved ones in prison, and holiday visiting also has
(02:57):
not yet been restored, so it's a much more limited
time frame that families have to be able to see
and hug and be with their loved ones.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
So what is loved Ones Link and why did Osborne
create this program.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Loved One's Link is a free bus program that helps
families visit incarcerated loved ones in New York State prison.
It's operated by Osborne in partnership with DOCS, and we
offer buses that are not only free, but our supportive
opportunities for families to be with their loved one and
(03:32):
to get to know others who are in a similar circumstance.
And we are so grateful to DOCS for bringing back
a free bus program. It's something that we have been
advocating for for many years and we're very grateful to
have this opportunity to support families in this way.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
So docs is the New York State Department of Corrections.
You said there was a program before, Why were willing
to restart it and why did it end in the
first place.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
I'm not sure why it ended in the first place.
It used to be operated by the Department of Corrections themselves.
I believe it may have been due to funding issues
that the program closed a number of years ago, and
without the opportunity for free buses, families have to bear
that cost of visiting themselves, and it can be quite
(04:23):
pricey to be able to take transportation across the state,
sometimes eight hours away by car or bus, to visit
their loved ones. So it's a big gift to families
to be able to bring back free transportation.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Research shows that people who receive visits while incarcerated have
lower recidivism rates. Can you talk about that for inmates
and then for families.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
For people who are incarcerated, families can be a crucial
element of their support network, and those relationships are already
strained through being removed from their household and community in
the state prison. But visiting is a way to maintain
and to strengthen those ties, and there's nothing like being
(05:08):
able to hug your parents or child or loved one.
We also support visiting in other ways. Osborne also operates
a video visiting program to provide free video visits for
families and supports all forms of visiting. But there's nothing
that can replace that in person visit with a loved one.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
What do we know about how it impacts children who
are missing their parents, haven't seen their parent.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
For a child, being able to be with their parents
and loved one and to see for themselves that their
parents is okay and loves them and supports them and
wants to know what's happening in their lives is so
critical and visiting can decrease children's emotional distress from that
separation with their loved one and provide an opportunity to
(06:00):
that experience of separation, which supports the child both during
that separation and eases the transition when that parent does
come back home.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Before we get to the details of the program with Tiffany,
I think there might be people that would say, why
would a child or why should a child see their
parent in this situation in jail. It's probably not safe,
maybe it's not the best environment. To your thoughts on.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
That, I think, well, it's not an ideal circumstance. Certainly
to have a parent who's incarcerated, being able to visit
with that parent is critical to the child's well being
and to the parent to have that opportunity at least
to have the visit. And while there are some children
who may choose not to visit their parent or loved
(06:47):
one in prison, there are so many children who long
to be able to be with their parent, to share
with them about what's going on in their life. And
we want to be able to support children in having
that opportunity need to be with their parents and loved one.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Loved One's Link is a free bus program that helps
families visit incarcerated loved ones in New York State prisons.
It's operated by Osborne Association in partnership with the New
York State Department of Corrections. My guests are Michelle Howard,
chief Program Officer and Executive vice President, and Tiffany Myrick,
the Children, Youth and Family Services Director for Osbourne Association.
(07:23):
You're listening to get connected on one oh six point
seven Light FM. Amina del Rio so Tiffany, can you
walk us through how loved ones Link works, where the
buses leave from, what facilities they travel to, and who
can sign up?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Sure? So we're currently leaving from Albany, Buffalo, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Rochester,
and Syracuse and we're traveling to the follow up facilities
albiond Attica, Bedford Hills, Clinton, Collins, Eastern Elmira, Fishco, Franklin,
(07:57):
green Haven, Lakeview, Orleans, sing singh Taconic, Ulster, Upstate, Wendy, Woodbourne,
and Wyoming.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Are these buses free to only families? Can friends use them?
How do you get on a list to be able
to participate?
Speaker 3 (08:14):
So the only criteria for border these buses is being
connected to someone who's incarcerated, and they're incarcerated in one
of the facilities I mentioned. In order to sign up,
all you would need is their name, their den number,
and like I said, the facility that they are in.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Michelle talked about people meeting and becoming part of a
bit of a community funding support. Do you find that
to be true for the people you've seen that have
been taking these buses?
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
We do a lot of referrals to our programs under
the Children, Youth and Family Services Department, and what we find,
especially for young people in our youth programming, incarceration of
a parent is isolating, right. Sometimes you feel like it's
just you that's being impacted by this, and to discover
a community of people who have a shared experience is empowering, right.
(09:11):
You see other people dealing with this and thriving seeing
how they maintain their connections. So there's absolutely strength in
a community that is being built through the program.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Some of these trips are very long. What should someone
expect on a Loved Ones Link trip?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
So we've worked really hard to ensure that the buses
are comfortable. They include charging ports. On the longer trips,
we're providing snacks. What they can expect is a friendly
Osborne staff will volunteer greeting them at the pickup point,
making sure that they have the appropriate documents, making sure
that their attire will be appropriate for the facility. Just
(09:50):
a friendly and safe ride to the facility in order
to connect with their loved one.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
So right now, all the trips are on weekends. That
has to do with visiting hours being closed during the week.
As we mentioned earlier, are the trips on weekends though
very busy, is it hard to get a seat?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
So just depending on the facility, the demand looks different.
So we definitely are still in our rollout phase and
looking for more families to sign up for the program.
So availability is not an issue right now. Like I said,
it just depends on the facility. But if we do
(10:27):
encounter our family and there's a bus that doesn't have availability,
we let them know we'll schedule them for the next
upcoming trip.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
And are these all round trips same day or some
of them overnight?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Some trips are overnight, so our upstate departures are going
to be overnight trips. Like a trip coming from Buffalo
to a downstate facility that is going to be an
overnight trip.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
And what kind of feedback have you gotten so far
from the families as you're rolling out the program.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
We've gotten such good feedback it just makes it makes
what we're doing so worthwhile. Like we get constantly we
get messages from families telling us that they haven't been
able to see their loved one in person for over
a year, for two years, and the feedback has been
so amazing, Like we even had a number of writers
(11:17):
who want to donate in order to keep the program going,
and that is so rewarding.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
What would you say or what would you like people
to understand about the people who are taking these trips
to visit their families and how it impacts them to
be able to do it.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I think it's important for people to understand that incarceration
doesn't take away a person's identity or their role as
a parent. Those bonds still matter, and so for our
children that are going to see a parent, this is
so important. You know, having a relationship and an emotional
connection with a parent, it ties into the identity of
(11:56):
that young person. We know, for a baby through five
years old, those are critical years and attachment is really important.
So being able to have a stable schedule where that
child is still getting to connect with their parent is
so important. For our teens, it's important as well maintaining
that connection. And just for the incarcerated individual, being able
(12:17):
to see a familiar face, a friendly face, maintaining that
connection is really impactful for them as well. It has
an effect on their mental health. It provides hope that
when they do return they will have these connections. Those
bonds are not broken, so it's just impactful on so
many friends who have these visits.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
And Michelle, i'ld like to ask you a similar question.
For people who aren't connected to these families or involved
in this world at all, what would you like them
to understand about the program and the importance of it
for these families.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Yes, I think that I want people to know that
the impact of incarceration is widespread and that it impacts
so many people in the communit that if you think
that you don't know anyone with a loved one who's incarcerated,
you are probably incorrect. Then there are so many families
that have a loved one who's inside and who long
(13:12):
to be with them, who may or may not be
sharing that with their neighbors and the people around them.
And also that if there's anyone who is interested in
volunteering or being a part of supporting these families and
seeing their loved ones to also please reach out to
us that we are recruiting volunteers to help with all
(13:33):
aspects of this program and would love to meet you
and have your support.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
You can find out more at Osborne Andy dot org
slash bus. My guests have been Michelle Howard and Tiffany
Myrik of Osborne Association. Thank you for being on to
get connected.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Thank you so much. It was wonderful to meet you.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
This has been get connected with Nina del Rio on
one IO six point seven light Fm. The views and
opinions of our do not necessarily reflect the views of
the station. If you missed any part of our show
or want to share it, visit our website for downloads
and podcasts at one O six seven lightfm dot com.
Thanks for listening.
Welcome to get Connected with Nina del Rio, a weekly
conversation about fitness, health and happenings in our community on
one zero six point seven Light FM.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, and thanks for listening to get connected. When
someone is incarcerated, not only are their lives impacted, but
prison can also be tough for families, both emotionally and financially.
Loved Ones Link is a free bus program that helps
families visit incarcerated loved ones in New York State prisons.
Operated by Osborne Association in partnership with the New York
(00:34):
State Department of Corrections. The program provides free transportation from
Brooklyn and the Bronx to upstate facilities in an effort
to ease the emotional and financial burden on families and
lower recidivism rates. My guests are Michelle Howard, Chief Program
Officer and Executive vice President, and Tiffany Myrik, Children Youth
and Family Service Director for Osborne Association. Ladies, thank you
(00:57):
for being on the show.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Thank you for having us, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
For the full schedule, and to reserve a seat. Families
can visit Osborneeny dot org slash bus and we will
start with you. Michelle Osborne House does many things. Can
you talk about the scope and the role of Osborne House.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Yes, the Osborne Association has been around for nearly one
hundred years supporting families that are impacted by the criminal
legal system. So we offer programming to keep people out
of jail, in prison, we offer services inside jails and prisons,
re entry support, and then we support families all along
the way.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
So regarding families, which is what we're focused on today,
how does incarceration impact families? Can you drill down a
little bit.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
The families experienced the cost of incarceration alongside their loved one,
and that is through the separation from their loved one
from their family and community. It's also the financial cost
of being able to stay in time. It's very expensive
to be able to visit in person, and then there's
(02:06):
also the cost of staying in touch in other ways
through providing money on a loved one's commissary accounts to
support them, as well as the cost of emails and
correspondents back and forth with the loved one who's inside.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I think it's really interesting on your site. I was
reading about visiting and keeping in communication. As you say
in the money involved visiting someone is not straightforward at all.
Even prison visits have been limited last year since a
guard strike, so that's on top of everything else.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
Absolutely visiting still has not been restored to the level
and availability that it was before last year's strike, so
weekday visiting has not resumed in many places, so weekends
are critical times for families to be able to visit
their loved ones in prison, and holiday visiting also has
(02:57):
not yet been restored, so it's a much more limited
time frame that families have to be able to see
and hug and be with their loved ones.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
So what is loved Ones Link and why did Osborne
create this program.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Loved One's Link is a free bus program that helps
families visit incarcerated loved ones in New York State prison.
It's operated by Osborne in partnership with DOCS, and we
offer buses that are not only free, but our supportive
opportunities for families to be with their loved one and
(03:32):
to get to know others who are in a similar circumstance.
And we are so grateful to DOCS for bringing back
a free bus program. It's something that we have been
advocating for for many years and we're very grateful to
have this opportunity to support families in this way.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
So docs is the New York State Department of Corrections.
You said there was a program before, Why were willing
to restart it and why did it end in the
first place.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
I'm not sure why it ended in the first place.
It used to be operated by the Department of Corrections themselves.
I believe it may have been due to funding issues
that the program closed a number of years ago, and
without the opportunity for free buses, families have to bear
that cost of visiting themselves, and it can be quite
(04:23):
pricey to be able to take transportation across the state,
sometimes eight hours away by car or bus, to visit
their loved ones. So it's a big gift to families
to be able to bring back free transportation.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Research shows that people who receive visits while incarcerated have
lower recidivism rates. Can you talk about that for inmates
and then for families.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
For people who are incarcerated, families can be a crucial
element of their support network, and those relationships are already
strained through being removed from their household and community in
the state prison. But visiting is a way to maintain
and to strengthen those ties, and there's nothing like being
(05:08):
able to hug your parents or child or loved one.
We also support visiting in other ways. Osborne also operates
a video visiting program to provide free video visits for
families and supports all forms of visiting. But there's nothing
that can replace that in person visit with a loved one.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
What do we know about how it impacts children who
are missing their parents, haven't seen their parent.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
For a child, being able to be with their parents
and loved one and to see for themselves that their
parents is okay and loves them and supports them and
wants to know what's happening in their lives is so
critical and visiting can decrease children's emotional distress from that
separation with their loved one and provide an opportunity to
(06:00):
that experience of separation, which supports the child both during
that separation and eases the transition when that parent does
come back home.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Before we get to the details of the program with Tiffany,
I think there might be people that would say, why
would a child or why should a child see their
parent in this situation in jail. It's probably not safe,
maybe it's not the best environment. To your thoughts on.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
That, I think, well, it's not an ideal circumstance. Certainly
to have a parent who's incarcerated, being able to visit
with that parent is critical to the child's well being
and to the parent to have that opportunity at least
to have the visit. And while there are some children
who may choose not to visit their parent or loved
(06:47):
one in prison, there are so many children who long
to be able to be with their parent, to share
with them about what's going on in their life. And
we want to be able to support children in having
that opportunity need to be with their parents and loved one.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Loved One's Link is a free bus program that helps
families visit incarcerated loved ones in New York State prisons.
It's operated by Osborne Association in partnership with the New
York State Department of Corrections. My guests are Michelle Howard,
chief Program Officer and Executive vice President, and Tiffany Myrick,
the Children, Youth and Family Services Director for Osbourne Association.
(07:23):
You're listening to get connected on one oh six point
seven Light FM. Amina del Rio so Tiffany, can you
walk us through how loved ones Link works, where the
buses leave from, what facilities they travel to, and who
can sign up?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Sure? So we're currently leaving from Albany, Buffalo, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Rochester,
and Syracuse and we're traveling to the follow up facilities
albiond Attica, Bedford Hills, Clinton, Collins, Eastern Elmira, Fishco, Franklin,
(07:57):
green Haven, Lakeview, Orleans, sing singh Taconic, Ulster, Upstate, Wendy, Woodbourne,
and Wyoming.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Are these buses free to only families? Can friends use them?
How do you get on a list to be able
to participate?
Speaker 3 (08:14):
So the only criteria for border these buses is being
connected to someone who's incarcerated, and they're incarcerated in one
of the facilities I mentioned. In order to sign up,
all you would need is their name, their den number,
and like I said, the facility that they are in.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Michelle talked about people meeting and becoming part of a
bit of a community funding support. Do you find that
to be true for the people you've seen that have
been taking these buses?
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
We do a lot of referrals to our programs under
the Children, Youth and Family Services Department, and what we find,
especially for young people in our youth programming, incarceration of
a parent is isolating, right. Sometimes you feel like it's
just you that's being impacted by this, and to discover
a community of people who have a shared experience is empowering, right.
(09:11):
You see other people dealing with this and thriving seeing
how they maintain their connections. So there's absolutely strength in
a community that is being built through the program.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Some of these trips are very long. What should someone
expect on a Loved Ones Link trip?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
So we've worked really hard to ensure that the buses
are comfortable. They include charging ports. On the longer trips,
we're providing snacks. What they can expect is a friendly
Osborne staff will volunteer greeting them at the pickup point,
making sure that they have the appropriate documents, making sure
that their attire will be appropriate for the facility. Just
(09:50):
a friendly and safe ride to the facility in order
to connect with their loved one.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
So right now, all the trips are on weekends. That
has to do with visiting hours being closed during the week.
As we mentioned earlier, are the trips on weekends though
very busy, is it hard to get a seat?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
So just depending on the facility, the demand looks different.
So we definitely are still in our rollout phase and
looking for more families to sign up for the program.
So availability is not an issue right now. Like I said,
it just depends on the facility. But if we do
(10:27):
encounter our family and there's a bus that doesn't have availability,
we let them know we'll schedule them for the next
upcoming trip.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
And are these all round trips same day or some
of them overnight?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Some trips are overnight, so our upstate departures are going
to be overnight trips. Like a trip coming from Buffalo
to a downstate facility that is going to be an
overnight trip.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
And what kind of feedback have you gotten so far
from the families as you're rolling out the program.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
We've gotten such good feedback it just makes it makes
what we're doing so worthwhile. Like we get constantly we
get messages from families telling us that they haven't been
able to see their loved one in person for over
a year, for two years, and the feedback has been
so amazing, Like we even had a number of writers
(11:17):
who want to donate in order to keep the program going,
and that is so rewarding.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
What would you say or what would you like people
to understand about the people who are taking these trips
to visit their families and how it impacts them to
be able to do it.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I think it's important for people to understand that incarceration
doesn't take away a person's identity or their role as
a parent. Those bonds still matter, and so for our
children that are going to see a parent, this is
so important. You know, having a relationship and an emotional
connection with a parent, it ties into the identity of
(11:56):
that young person. We know, for a baby through five
years old, those are critical years and attachment is really important.
So being able to have a stable schedule where that
child is still getting to connect with their parent is
so important. For our teens, it's important as well maintaining
that connection. And just for the incarcerated individual, being able
(12:17):
to see a familiar face, a friendly face, maintaining that
connection is really impactful for them as well. It has
an effect on their mental health. It provides hope that
when they do return they will have these connections. Those
bonds are not broken, so it's just impactful on so
many friends who have these visits.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
And Michelle, i'ld like to ask you a similar question.
For people who aren't connected to these families or involved
in this world at all, what would you like them
to understand about the program and the importance of it
for these families.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Yes, I think that I want people to know that
the impact of incarceration is widespread and that it impacts
so many people in the communit that if you think
that you don't know anyone with a loved one who's incarcerated,
you are probably incorrect. Then there are so many families
that have a loved one who's inside and who long
(13:12):
to be with them, who may or may not be
sharing that with their neighbors and the people around them.
And also that if there's anyone who is interested in
volunteering or being a part of supporting these families and
seeing their loved ones to also please reach out to
us that we are recruiting volunteers to help with all
(13:33):
aspects of this program and would love to meet you
and have your support.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
You can find out more at Osborne Andy dot org
slash bus. My guests have been Michelle Howard and Tiffany
Myrik of Osborne Association. Thank you for being on to
get connected.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Thank you so much. It was wonderful to meet you.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
This has been get connected with Nina del Rio on
one IO six point seven light Fm. The views and
opinions of our do not necessarily reflect the views of
the station. If you missed any part of our show
or want to share it, visit our website for downloads
and podcasts at one O six seven lightfm dot com.
Thanks for listening.
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