Growing up as the eldest daughter with an incarcerated father
I grew up as a daughter of a habitual offender. As the eldest sibling of 4, it was hard every single time to watch my father go in and out
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Emotional support and resources for families divided by the justice system.
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Stabilize families, rehabilitate and build confidence.
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Prevention of intergenerational incarceration.
Healing Hearts is a free program for eligible families divided by incarceration. Over 12–16 weeks, parents and children receive a blend of individual and family therapy designed to strengthen communication, rebuild trust, and support daily stability. The program also includes child-care assistance for minor children, removing barriers so caregivers can attend consistently. Compassionate and trauma-informed, Healing Hearts meets families where they are and helps them move forward together.
300 Heroes is an 8-week empowerment group for caregivers of justice-impacted children. It’s a safe space to process what you’re experiencing, navigate new roles, build practical skills, and find community while your loved one is incarcerated. You are the heroes of 300 Letters—the steady backbone of your family—showing up for yourself and the children who depend on you.
Nearly 2.7 Million children under 18 have an incarcerated parent in the U.S.A.
Parental incarceration is the silent epidemic of our country. 4.2 million children in America have asthma BUT 5 million children in America have experienced parental incarceration. It is a public health crisis!
About 300,000 children in Florida alone have a parent incarcerated in a jail or prison.
Mass incarceration has divided so many families, over 90% of incarcerated men are fathers and over 60% of incarcerated women are mothers. Parental incarceration is considered an adverse childhood effect (ACE) and has the same effect as the death of a parent.
300 Letters has served over 400 families that have been divided by incarceration.
300 Letters was born from the lived experience of Legend and Amanda Tarver, a husband and wife who faced incarceration at the same time — separated from their eldest son and learning, just two weeks into their sentence, that another child was on the way.
Through 300 LETTERS exchanged during that time, they discovered the power of communication, hope, and unconditional love to hold a family together against all odds. Today, 300 Letters exists to strengthen the bond between parents returning home and the children waiting for them. Our mission is to help families heal from the trauma of incarceration ; not to be defined by their past, but to rise through it with resilience, love, and purpose.
We are powerful partners for families reentering their communities, because we’ve lived that journey ourselves and we know exactly what it takes to rebuild.
300 Letters was founded by Legend and Amanda Tarver, who were both incarcerated at the same time leaving behind their
eldest son and learning a new son was on the way 2 weeks into their sentence.
300 Letters is focused on creating and maintaining the bond between recently released parents and their children. We wish to help families recover from the trauma of incarceration so they are not defined by their experience, but rather the way they managed it.
We aim to be POWERFUL partners for the families returning to their communities because we understand what it takes.
Our mission at 300 Letters is to recognize incarceration as a family experience and respond with comprehensive support that uplifts every member of a justice-impacted household. We provide emotional care, financial relief, practical resources, and the confidence families need as they navigate the challenges created by the criminal justice system.
By building a community of support and equipping families with tools for healing and stability, we aim to break the generational cycle of incarceration and ensure that children grow up with opportunities—not statistics—defining their futures.
300 Letters envisions a future where families recovering from incarceration are met with understanding, dignity, and genuine support. Mass incarceration in the United States remains a widespread issue, touching millions of households and shaping the wellbeing of entire communities. Nearly half of U.S. adults have an immediate family member who has been incarcerated; a reality that carries emotional, social, and economic consequences for generations.
We believe in humanizing this experience, reducing the stigma that limits opportunity, and ensuring that families impacted by incarceration are not defined by their past, but empowered in their future. Through compassionate support and community-driven resources, we work to rewrite the narrative for parents, caregivers, and children healing from the effects of incarceration.
I grew up as a daughter of a habitual offender. As the eldest sibling of 4, it was hard every single time to watch my father go in and out
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“Empower the families working towards a healed future“