There’s no sugarcoating it:
When a loved one goes to prison or jail, it’ll almost certainly disrupt a number of lives. Not only will they essentially need to put their life on hold, but their arrest and sentencing will also cause upheaval in your life, as well. If you and your loved one are responsible for other individuals – such as children or elderly parents – they, too, will feel the negative effects of the entire situation from the beginning.
This will be incredibly difficult for everyone involved, you may feel as if you have no control over… anything at all. This sense of hopelessness, of course, only serves to make matters worse than they already are.
The first thing you should consider doing is picking the best way to stay in touch with your loved one – most people start with a cost-effective way to make calls or they send photos.
Prepare Yourself and Your Family
Part of the reason this is such a stressful time is because you feel as if you have no idea how to proceed after your loved one has been placed in jail.
While the process of seeing a loved one get arrested, go through trial, and finally be sentenced to jail is full of confusion, doubt, and uncertainty, you’ll want to use this time to begin preparing yourself, your loved one, and your family members for what may lie ahead. In such instances, the mantra “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst” rings 100% true.
Most importantly, you’ll want to begin preparing mentally and emotionally for what’s to come. You and your loved one will almost certainly go through the five psychological stages of grief throughout the process; this is normal. Rather than allowing these emotions to control your actions, learn to recognize them for what they are, and work on figuring out the best way for you, personally, to deal with them.
If you have children, you’ll also want to prepare them for the possibility that their grandparent will be going away for some time.
Aside from the emotional preparations you’ll need to make, you’ll also need to prepare for the financial and other logistical changes that you’ll surely face moving forward.
Provide Support To Your Loved One
Providing love and support to your incarcerated loved one is essential to their well-being. It’s also a great way to maintain some sense of “normalcy” within your own life, as well. You’ll want to do everything in your power to be able to visit your loved one whenever possible.
A-EZ Out Bail Bonds: Helping Families Get Back Together
Figuring out how to explain a loved one’s arrest to a child is never easy, but it is not impossible. Try to put yourself in your child’s shoes, and always take into consideration the questions and concerns they might have.
It is important to secure release quickly after an arrest. A-EZ Out Bail Bonds can make that happen for your family. Call us or visit our website to get in touch with a bail bond agent.