This week we hand the Pony over to Luis Rodriguez who wrote Miles Apart for his kids. He shares the mic with his friends at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution,
Ian Lohrman, Chris Ainsworth, Phillip Luna, Luis Rodriguez, and Kurtis Thompson as they respond to what makes them feel close to family and what makes them feel far away.
listen to miles apart
What is the remedy to draw his family near? In Keeping Close, Luis shares some of the strategies he employs to engage his daughter in conversation, to meet his son’s interest in video games. The majority of Oregon prisons are located at least three hours from the heavily populated Willamette Valley. Phones and video calls (charged by the minute) are expensive for people who make on average about $40.00 per month. A 30-minute phone call costs about $2.70. Maintaining strong family connections play a critical role in an incarcerated person’s wellbeing and their future success when they return to the larger community.