General rules to visiting an inmate

Visits are a great way to stay in touch, but they are also important for other reasons. If you really want to know how your loved one is doing—go visit them. You learn so much more about how they are adjusting, if they are well, and the different programs they are participating in during a…

January 17, 20190Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

tyro blog visiting your husband in prison

Family Prison

Preparing for your first prison visit

The world of prison is very different from the rest of our world. If you have never been to a prison before, your very first prison visit can be intimidating. The world of prison is very different from the rest of our world. It is like stepping into another universe. All the rules, the security,…

January 1, 20190Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

time with dad in prison ron tijerina blog

Family Prison

Are Prison Visits Safe for Children?

Prison. Just this one word can create so much anxiety, controversy, and pain. Visions of a violent and hostile environment often leap to life in people’s imaginations. Surely this is not a place to take children! Turn on the TV and you can find multiple shows depicting prison life. For many people,…

December 28, 20180Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family Prison

Christmas Traditions with a Loved one in Prison

Growing up in a large family, one of my favorite memories is of our Christmas traditions. We made dozens of cut-out cookies, batches of sweet caramels, pounds of chocolatey fudge, and bags of party mix in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Then, every Christmas eve, we each opened one gift—new pajamas. The next morning, the…

December 19, 20180Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family Prison

How to build a relationship over the phone

Your husband is in prison. Suddenly, your primary way of communicating is no longer face to face, but over the phone. And not by text, snapchat, or Instagram messaging. Yikes! Talking on the phone together was probably not something you did often before he went to prison. Talking on the phone is now the most…

December 18, 20180Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family Prison

How to have a Great Christmas Visit with an Inmate

Christmas was the most difficult season for my family while Ron was in prison. On the outside, we missed him every day—but during Christmas we missed him even more. For those on the inside, the days are longer and harder than any other time of the year. Spending time together during visits to…

December 17, 20180Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Leadership Prison

10 Tips to getting a Job with a Felony

You might have heard that you won’t be able to get a job if you have a felony. Ridiculous! Of course you can find a job with felony! Your path to employment will be a little different than others, but there are many, many, many jobs available to you. You just have to know what…

December 11, 20180Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family Prison

Christmas Presents when Dad is in prison

Making Holidays special for all After barely getting through the first Christmas with Ron in prison, I promised myself that my sons would have a lot of presents from then on. The next several years, I found myself looking for ways to get as many gifts as I could for my sons. I needed to…

December 5, 20180Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family Prison

Telling Your Employer Your Husband is in Prison

“Should I tell my boss that my husband is in prison?” This is one of the most common questions I get. One of the biggest fears a wife of a prisoner is that the news of their husband’s incarceration will cause them to lose their job. For some, it is a very real danger. Some…

December 4, 20180Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

tyro blog things people say to prisoners wives

Family Prison

Stuff people say to Prisoners Wives

Has anyone ever said something really dumb to you? I am talking about the really stupid things people say to us when our husband is in prison. The, “I cannot believe they actually said that!” stuff. I am willing to bet that you have heard a lot of things said that should never have come…

December 3, 20180Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com