Our Mission: 

We help families separated by incarceration stay connected through the healing power of reading

The first voice a newborn hears is that of its mother and loving and soothing as they feed and talk to them. It is a life-long bond that Staying in Closer Touch works to sustain and strengthen when parents cannot be with the child.

Each week volunteers enter correctional facilities to connect with mothers, fathers and grandparents to help them select a book for their child. We record them reading to their child, and the recording, the brand-new book and a personal, artistically created card by the parent is sent to the child. This is the core of our work.

Our Programs:

Staying in Closer Touch works at two sites in Washtenaw County. 

Women’s Huron Valley Facility is on the corner of Platt and Bemis roads. Two volunteers go each week.
Washtenaw County Jail is on Hogback Road just east of US23 is a weekly visit to both men and women there.

Making an Impact:
We measure our impact in both numbers and stories. Here are the numbers from 2023:

2 sites
208 visits per year
800 parents each year read to their children
3600 books are delivered to children each year