Daughters Beyond Incarceration

Year Founded: 2018

Daughters Beyond Incarceration’s (DBI) vision is to amplify and advocate for the unique lived experiences of young girls who are girls that are directly impacted by incarceration. To nurture the holistic healing needed to curtail varying levels of trauma our girls face as they are directly impacted by systemic oppression (i.e. mass incarceration). To empower our girls to become agents of social change within narrative, policy, and practice change within our city, state, and nation. To enhance the quality of the relationship between currently & formerly incarcerated parents and their children.

DBI believes in the phenomenological approach theory of change. This approach allows individuals with lived experiences, to tell stories to make meaning of their truths, realities, and experiences. DBI offers an 8-week after-school program each fall and spring, tailored specifically for girls aged 8 to 18 who have a parent currently or formerly incarcerated. The program sessions focus on specific skills or needs identified through discussions with caregivers and school partners during the intake process. DBI partners with schools to identify participants and determine which sessions will be most impactful for the mentees. 

DBI also offers a Policy Fellowship program that empowers high school girls with incarcerated parents to become informed advocates and leaders. Over a six-month period, participants earn $3,000 to attend learning sessions where they learn critical civic topics.

In 2018, incarcerated parent, Charles Brown, Jr. set out to find ways to better connect with his daughter, Dominque Jones-Johnson who, at the time, struggled with communicating their feelings to each other. Together, the two agreed that girls with parents in prison need a way to communicate their feelings to one another with awareness and a forgiving heart. Out of that conversation, Daughters Beyond Incarceration (DBI) was born. DBI works to support girls ages 8-18 that reside in low-income communities in New Orleans with a parent in prison.