The American judicial system is wrought with problems.
Not everyone who goes to prison should be there, and not every sentence is just. Justice can be very elusive when the system fails. Prison is always devasting—but it is even more horrific when there is an injustice.
Our judicial system fails, and thus lives are thrust into the chaos of prison and the shock of an injustice. The trauma and stress can quickly swallow up a family. Moreover, you have to find and keep a healthy perspective on the situation you are facing or you and your family will never recover from this experience.
You have 2 major priorities; fight the sentence and fight for your family.
There is an effective way to fight and an ineffective way. Do not waste your time and energy on fighting the system ineffectively also. You need to concentrate on doing the things you can do. If you put all of your efforts into something you cannot change, bitterness will harden your heart and you will lose both justice and your family.
Your primary job is to keep your family together and strong
I know this is a hard word to hear, but your primary job is to keep your family together and strong; not to get your husband out of prison. You are in the fight of your life to save your family. Your responsibilities for getting justice are limited only to finding an attorney or organization to do battle in the courts for your loved one in prison – to share your story with your elected officials, and to provide information that only you have when needed. IT IS NOT WITHIN YOUR POWER TO GET HIM OUT OF PRISON.
What is within your power is to fight for your family. For this reason, your biggest responsibility is to keep your children safe, to stay connected to your husband, and create a home that will stand the test of this injustice. Your husband has more time than you do to dedicate to researching lawyers, organizations, and laws that can help him with his case and/or his sentence. Your job is to make the best of a terrible situation and find ways to become better in spite of the experience.
You are fighting the prison sentence and the negative effects prison typically has on a family
When you concentrate on becoming better, stabilizing your family, and fighting to keep your family together, you are defying the injustice. You are fighting the prison sentence and the negative effects prison typically has on a family. In general, it takes years to correct a legal wrong (if it is ever corrected). Thus what you do with those years will define your family forever. Invest in building a better future for your children and your family. The battle is fought in the courts.
The best way to win the fight against injustice is to overcome it, not overturn it. Overturning an injustice can never be enough if your family thus falls apart. Overcoming the injustice together is a victory in and of itself.
I am rooting for you!
Cathy