OUR MISSION

This Is Our House exists to meet a critical gap in reentry services for mothers and their children.  Criminal justice involved mothers face unique challenges tied to trauma, mental health, and family separation.  When mothers leave prison without stable housing, parenting support, and employment opportunities, the harm extends across generations—leading to homelessness and reincarceration for women, instability and trauma for children, and long-term social and economic costs for communities. By providing residential housing where families can live together, along with parenting support and childcare, TiOH reduces recidivism and supports lasting family reunification.

Since 2000, female incarceration has risen nearly 60%, driven largely by poverty, drug-related offenses, and systemic inequities. Most incarcerated women are mothers and many face trauma, mental health challenges, and substance use disorders. more info

The system classifies women by offense, yet the context behind those offenses remains

absent. Women who stole often did so to meet basic needs in the face of poverty and

resource scarcity. Those who sold drugs frequently did so under economic pressure or

the coercion of intimate partners; Both conditions have been documented across multiple longitudinal studies. Women who used drugs often relied on substances to manage untreated

trauma, including childhood abuse, interpersonal violence, and chronic stress. more info

•  In NC, women made up 15% of admissions to state prisons in FY 2021-22.                  The Charlotte Post 
• NC receives about 1,400–1,500 pregnant incarcerated people annually (estimate). The Charlotte Post
•  A 2012 article estimated that though exact figures were lacking, nationally ~2/3 of incarcerated women have a minor child; NC had ~2,600 women behind bars (at that time) and many of those are mothers. North Carolina Health News

Family and Household Financial burdens

• Families of incarcerated individuals spend an average of about $4,200 per year on communication, visitation, travel, and related costs. These expenses reduce resources available for children’s needs.
• Parent incarceration often triggers loss of household income, with families reporting an average monthly loss of approximately $1,800.

Direct Economic Costs of Recidivism

• States incur hundreds of millions to billions annually due to people returning to prison, reflecting system-level costs (e.g., court, incarceration, supervision). For example, estimated recidivism cost was $323 million in one reporting period for North Carolina. These figures are general totals, not per person, but show the scale of recidivism costs to justice systems.

 Children with incarcerated parents 

• A 2025 report states that nearly 21,000 children in North Carolina have a parent imprisoned in the state prison system (not counting county jails). NCIOM+2North Carolina Health News+2
• A March 2023 article found at least 18,888 children had a parent in a North Carolina state prison as of Jan. 14, 2023. NC Newsline
  • On that same date: 9,902 people in NC state prisons were parents of children under 18. NC Newsline
  • The average age of those children: ~10.12 years. NC Newsline
• According to the advocacy group NC Second Chance Alliance: in North Carolina 1 in 28 children has a parent who is currently incarcerated. They note higher rates for Black children (1 in 9) and Hispanic children (1 in 28) vs White children (1 in 57). ncsecondchance.org
• Important caveats: these numbers do not include parents in county jails, federal prisons, or those in pre-trial detention locally — so the true number of impacted children is higher. North Carolina Health News+1

 Justice-involved mothers (women incarcerated, pregnant, mothers of minors) 

• In NC, women made up 15% of admissions to state prisons in FY 2021-22. The Charlotte Post
• NC receives about 1,400–1,500 pregnant incarcerated people annually (estimate). The Charlotte Post
• A 2012 article estimated that though exact figures were lacking, nationally ~2/3 of incarcerated women have a minor child; NC had ~2,600 women behind bars (at that time) and many of those are mothers. North Carolina Health News
• There is a program at the women’s prison (Mothers And Their Children (MATCH) in Raleigh) where incarcerated mothers take parenting classes and children visit in a more homelike visitation space. Indy Week