Atlanta Mom's Nonprofit Helps Teens With Incarcerated Parents Stay on Track

Yahoo

29-04-2025

When Tiffany Gibson left home in 2008 to serve a nearly four-year prison sentence, her oldest son, Telly McGuire, was well on his way to pursuing a college education.
Then 14 years old, McGuire had stellar grades and was active in extracurricular activities, according to Gibson. But through his tenure at Benjamin E. Mays High School in southwest Atlanta, he had limited guidance or motivation to continue his studies or plan for a profession.
'No one stressed to him about college,' Gibson told Capital B earlier this month. 'No one told him how to fill out an application. No one taught him about [financial aid].'
Gibson attempted to encourage McGuire when she came home around the time of his high school graduation.
'I tried to make up, like, 'Hey, me and you [can] enroll in college together,'' said Gibson, who has since earned her master's degree. 'He told me to my face that I was basically too late.'
That experience was the inspiration for Surviving Freedom, the nonprofit Gibson founded in 2020 to empower justice-impacted individuals, a term often used to describe a person who has been incarcerated or has an incarcerated relative.
Studies have shown that kids whose parents are incarcerated are at greater risk for mental health issues and antisocial behavior. Fulton County sends more people to Georgia prisons than any other in the state. The majority of those incarcerated are Black, which can perpetuate a cycle of involvement in the criminal justice system for their dependents.
Gibson feels teenagers are particularly vulnerable. The mother of three recalls her two youngest children — who were 9 and 2 years old, respectively, when she was last incarcerated — received intentional care and support from family members, while McGuire felt left out. She remembers toy giveaway programs for young children during the holidays, but nothing for teens.
As a result, Surviving Freedom launched the first of a series of vision-boarding events geared toward justice-impacted high school students on April 19 at the C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center in Adamsville. The event featured college and career counselors, voter registration facilitators, and organizations that support local entrepreneurs.
'Not everyone is college-ready, so you have to have different avenues for them,' Gibson said. 'If we can show the teenagers that there are resources for them and provide those resources, a lot of them will stay in school, go on to college, or build a career.'
Michael Marshall, creator of PCONN, a ride-sharing service that helps people visit incarcerated loved ones, was the event's main speaker. He said his app was inspired by his experience growing up as the child of incarcerated parents — and then being behind bars for a decade himself after becoming a parent.
'My mom left me at 15, so I had to navigate through life to get to the point where I am now,' Marshall said. 'Back then, it didn't look like I was going to be the founder of a company, especially with me being homeless, eating out the trash can as a teenager, and then a 10½-year prison sentence.'
Marshall said observing infrequent visitation to fellow detainees sparked the idea for PCONN, which allows users to carpool with someone already driving to the prison for a fee. He added that he seeks to be an example to justice-impacted high schoolers — including his own daughter — showing that they can overcome their circumstances.
'I was the incarcerated parent, and I had parents that were incarcerated, so I felt both sides,' Marshall said. 'I hope my success just encourages people.'
Gibson said the event was an extension of the work the organization is already doing to connect reentering citizens with counseling services and work placement programs, and to inform them about programs like the work opportunity tax credit, which incentivizes employers to hire formerly incarcerated people within a year of their release.
She hopes to throw similar events around the Atlanta metro area to reach as many teens as possible. Helping her will be her son Telly, who works with Surviving Freedom and is now in school to become an electrician.
'There are so many kids that don't have that structure or guidance that they need,' Gibson said. 'Surviving Freedom is here to support you.'
The post Atlanta Mom's Nonprofit Helps Teens With Incarcerated Parents Stay on Track appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.