A support group is a gathering of people who share a common situation. For wives of prison inmates, the group can give women an opportunity to discuss the hardships of losing their husband. Group members help each other cope with difficult situations like how to explain to young children why their dad is in prison. MayoClinic.com explains that support groups give members a sense of empowerment, improves coping skills, reduces depression and anxiety.
Step 1
Find out if an inmate wives support group exists already. If so, get in touch with a few of the founding members to get advice on how to start one in your area. You can ask about how to advertise your group, where you can conduct meetings and how to come up with money you may need for making photo copies or helping members out with bus fare.
Step 2
Ask one or two other women to help you start the group. Creating a support group takes a lot of work and time. Doing it with a few other women means that tasks can be delegated.
Step 3
Write a group constitution. Mental Help Net suggests outlining the purpose of your group. Identify who can attend--in this case, wives of inmates--and who cannot attend, siblings of inmates, for example. Determine the meeting format. By sampling other self-help groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous or a disease-survivor group, you can research formats you think will be most helpful.
Step 4
Elect officers. If individuals have specific tasks they're responsible for, members will have a feeling that they play an important role in keeping the group going. You will need people to be in charge of distributing a meeting calendar, finding guest speakers, organizing fundraising if you need to pay for a meeting space and get materials, including photocopy paper.
Step 5
Find a meeting place. Choose a location close to public transportation. Call local churches and synagogues, hospitals and community centers. Ask if you can conduct your meetings for free or negotiate a low fee. Be sure the space will allow children because not all wives will have the ability to pay for child care. Conduct the first few meetings in a founding member's basement until you find a more suitable location.
Step 6
Start a Facebook page for your support group to get the word out. Post meeting fliers in places that spouse's of inmates are likely to see them including Laundromats, unemployment offices, bulletin boards in hospital lobbies, at homeless shelters and Salvation Army and Goodwill stores.
Tips and Warnings
- It's likely not everyone will be able to afford to pay dues. If you pass around a can and ask people to donate what they can--a quarter or a dollar--it can go a long way in helping pay for meeting supplies and snacks. You will have more members if you can conduct your meetings on the same night and at the same time every week.
- It's important to have a group leader who can help mediate arguments and deal with people who have difficulty controlling their emotions.
