A Good Night's Sleep - AFOI and GTL Work Together to Provide Pajamas to Children Affected by Incarceration

FALLS CHURCH, Va., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Assisting Families of Inmates (AFOI) is proud to announce that it has recently received a generous donation from GTL, a corrections technology company, to provide new clothing for children in AFOI's programs.

GTL recently held a company-wide pajama drive to gather clothing for children and adults affected by incarceration. Over 250 pairs of new pajamas were donated, and a portion of those were given to AFOI, which will distribute them among the approximately 140 children served by AFOI's Transportation, Video Visitation, and Milk and Cookies Children's Programs. 

"More than 5.7 children nationwide—1 in 12 children under the age of 18—have experienced the incarceration of a father or mother, and these children and the other family members left behind deeply struggle with the effects and impacts of incarceration," said Fran Bolin, Executive Director. "This figure is staggering, and AFOI has spent the past four decades assisting families in the Richmond area, and beyond, with visitation and family reintegration opportunities, resources and referrals, and other services to help families not only cope during the time of incarceration but thrive upon release and reunification. GTL's donation means a lot to the children served by our programs, who are often without basic resources, like pajamas, underwear and socks."

AFOI is one of a handful of programs in the country to provide support and resources, referrals and education services, and regular, meaningful visitation to prevent the breakdown of relationships during incarceration.

"GTL believes that staying connected is one of the most important aspects of successful reentry after release," said Matthew Caesar, GTL Executive Vice President, Customer Solutions. "We applaud AFOI's mission to keep families together throughout an incarcerated individual's sentence by providing assistance for remote video visitation and transportation for in-person visits. During these extraordinary times, the support of loved ones is more important than ever. We hope that our simple donation will bring some joy to the children served by AFOI's exceptional programs."

About AFOI

The mission of AFOI is to provide opportunities for regular, meaningful visitation, referrals to community resources, and other services that help families cope with incarceration and prepare for release and reunification. We strive to prevent the breakdown of relationships among inmates and their families by providing regular, meaningful visitation, support, referrals and education services. Our programs help families and loved ones throughout the period of incarceration and also prepare families for a successful transition when the inmate is released from prison back into our community. Assisting Families of Inmates is one of only a handful of such programs to provide these services in Virginia and across the United States. To learn more about AFOI, please visit www.afoi.org.

About GTL

GTL leads the fields of corrections technology, education, and intelligence, as well as government payment services, with visionary solutions that integrate seamlessly to deliver security, financial value, and operational efficiencies while aiding inmate rehabilitation. As a trusted industry leader, GTL provides services to over 1.6 million inmates in more than 2,300 correctional facilities in the United States and Canada, including 29 U.S. departments of corrections, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons. GTL is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with an employee presence throughout North America. To learn more about GTL, please visit www.gtl.net or social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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SOURCE GTL