FAMILY CONNECTION Service unites relatives for holidays, in prison

The company transports people to see loved ones serving time.
WARREN -- Virginia Holmes saw a unique need and filled it.
She started Family Connection, which provides transportation for families and friends of inmates currently incarcerated in Ohio correctional facilities.
Working for 23 years as a youth leader at the Trumbull County Children's Services Agency, Holmes saw that many children have one or more parents in prison and couldn't always get to see them.
"Many inmates do not get to see their families and friends because of transportation issues, and our service provides them with the means to get there and back in one day," Holmes said.
'More than business'
She said Family Connection is more than just a business -- it's a community service.
"If family visitation is taking place on a consistent basis and an inmate is getting family support, it is more likely that when he or she is released from prison, their rehabilitation will be more successful," Holmes said.
Family Connection, serves Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Summit counties. Holmes said that since there are approximately 10,000 inmates from the four counties serving time in Ohio prison, there is a pressing need for the transportation service.
She said at holidays, families are eager to see their loved ones, "You can hear the desperation in their voices."
Holmes has seven-passenger and 15-passenger vans available for transportation and three part-time employees. The Warren/Trumbull Urban League office, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, and the Youngstown Area Urban League are among the pick-up locations for the passengers.
Holmes said her rates are based on the distance of the prisons and how long it takes to drive there. She has divided the state into four zones with areas such as Chillicothe or Ross County in southern Ohio carrying a rate of about $75.
For more information on Family Connection, call (330) 898-7963 or go to www.familyconnection.net.