For families with loved ones behind bars, missing information often means carrying risks they can’t see or control
For families with loved ones behind bars, missing information often means carrying risks they can’t see or control  
Podcast: The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Published On: Thu Apr 30 2026
Description: Families of incarcerated people depend on timely, accurate information to make decisions about safety, health and contact, but when that information is missing, the risk shifts directly onto them. Those gaps raise a larger question about why transparency for prison families hasn’t been treated as a core government responsibility. Here to share that impact is Heather Pirtle, president and founder of FIRST Network.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.