ARLINGTON, VA – Stand Together, a philanthropic organization dedicated to removing barriers in education, business, communities, and government, announced it is partnering with Prison Fellowship and Flikshop to provide free messages and photos to thousands of incarcerated men and women from family and friends. The free messages of love and support will be sent on postcards, via U.S. Mail, just in time for this upcoming Father's Day weekend.
Flikshop is a photo and message service that sends postcards exclusively to incarcerated men and women in the U.S. Stand Together is providing funding for 20,000 individual postcards—containing messages and photos—for existing Flikshop customers and Prison Fellowship Angel Tree® caregivers and in-prison volunteers to send to their incarcerated loved ones.
"After being convicted and sentenced to eight years in an adult maximum-security system at the age of 15, life became very dark and depressing," said Marcus Bullock, Founder and CEO of Flikshop. "When I expressed that to my mother during one visit, she made me a promise from that day forward—to write me a letter or send me a picture every day of my remaining sentence. Because of that, I was able to see the world through my mother's lens, giving me a clearer vision as to what my life would look like after prison. That simple gesture of love saved my life, literally, and that's why I created Flikshop after serving my sentence. I want to help other incarcerated men and women stay connected with their loved ones, just the way my mother did with me."
Alice Marie Johnson, a criminal justice reform advocate with Stand Together, used these services while she was serving her life sentence before being commuted by President Trump in 2018.
"More than most, I know how important it is to stay in touch with your family while incarcerated," said Alice Marie Johnson, Stand Together Advocate. "I still cherish the communications I received while inside. The postcards that Flikshop facilitates are one of the only ways to feel deeply connected to family and friends. Due to COVID-19, many Americans have now glimpsed the isolation someone in prison experiences. Now more than ever before, the work to connect loved ones inside prison and those in the community is vital to individuals keeping their faith that they will be reunited with their families and communities once again."
Johnson continued: "Stand Together's work with both Prison Fellowship and Flikshop will help thousands of families stay connected during these difficult times. This initiative will let incarcerated men and women know one critical thing – you are not alone. You have a support system to help you get through this time. Spreading messages of love, hope, and faith throughout the country is what we need right now, and I hope this can be a catalyst to restore dignity and redemption to our criminal justice system."
Background:
In the coming weeks, Prison Fellowship, Flikshop, and Stand Together will be sharing powerful stories about how the free postcards have helped to keep families connected during this challenging time.
Stand Together
Stand Together empowers people dedicated to helping others improve their lives. Our philanthropic community tackles some of the biggest challenges of our times, including reforming the nation's criminal justice system, strengthening K-12 education, helping neighbors beat poverty and addiction, empowering everyone to find fulfilling work, and more. We identify, vet, and create organizations that discover innovative ways to remove barriers in education, business, communities, and government so every person can rise. We partner with these groups by offering tools and resources to dramatically increase their effectiveness and scale.
Prison Fellowship
Prison Fellowship is the nation's largest outreach to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading voice for criminal justice reform. With more than 40 years of experience helping restore men and women behind bars, Prison Fellowship advocates for federal and state criminal justice reforms that transform those responsible for crime, validate victims, and encourage communities to play a role in creating a safe, redemptive, and just society.
Flikshop
Flikshop keeps families connected to their loved ones that are incarcerated in over 2,000 jails, prisons, and juvenile facilities across the U.S. The Flikshop app allows users to send photos and personal messages as real postcards directly to their loved one. Memories are designed to be shared and to keep the family connected. Flikshop makes it possible to share moments instantly, keep the family connected, and create a stronger reentry plan for every person in every facility in the country.
