Sharon McKinney, executive director of the Texas Inmate Families Association, said the organization's main focus is education. They conduct statewide support meetings for families affected by incarceration. Despite Covid challenges, the meetings' play a vital role in providing support and addressing stigma. McKinney was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.

"Our biggest part of our mission is education, so we hold monthly support meeting groups for families who have someone incarcerated  across the state," said McKinney on a recent edition of the Texas Talks Podcast. “At one time, we were up to 28 chapters. Covid really hurt the nonprofit world and we lost meeting places, so we're down to about 11. But we were building back up, and what the families do is they can come to this meeting and they can be around other people who are going through the same thing that they are.”

“If you haven't ever been affected by the criminal justice system, it affects the whole family," said McKinney. “It doesn't just affect the person that goes inside, it also affects the family. And there's a stigma that the family feels that they can't talk to anybody about it because people think - 'what did you do, murder someone?'"

McKinney serves as the executive director of the Texas Incarcerated Families Association (TIFA), where she leads educational initiatives like the New Family Workshop for those with relatives entering the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Parole Workshop for families nearing parole eligibility. TIFA offers its members educational resources, advocacy platforms, and organizing opportunities through regular chapter meetings, an online platform, a quarterly newsletter, and direct access to the executive director.

Texas Talks podcast is hosted by Brad Swail. The weekly show is focused on public policy in the state of Texas, with insights from the people and organizations that influence it.

The podcast is available on Simple Cast and YouTube.