Home » News » Business
August 12. 2012 7:20PM
Derry resident's website, myjailbird.com, connects friends, family with prisoners
DERRY — When a loved one serves time in prison, it can have a devastating effect on friends and family as well as the prisoner.
“It's heartbreaking to see what happens to the family structure,” said Derry resident Tim Burke. “The family and friends suffer as well.”
In January, Burke and a group of family, friends and investors launched myjailbird.com, a website that helps friends and family stay in touch with loved ones behind bars.
In addition to allowing the friends and family to form a support network, it allows people to easily send mail and other items to prisoners and sets reminders for when it is a prisoner's birthday or other occasion.
Although the prisoners themselves do not have access to the website, Burke said myjailbird.com functions as a way to make it easier for them to stay in contact with the outside world.
Burke, a Pinkerton Academy graduate, said he has always been interested in public affairs and human rights. He said he's had friends and family go through the prison system and decided to use the tools of social networking websites as something families could use to stay in touch with prisoners.
In addition to helping keep families together, Burke said the site can help prisoners make the transition to the outside world when they are released and hopefully cut down on repeat offenders.
“When these guys get out of prison, they have been away and isolated and have lost touch,” Burke said. With no support network when they get out of prison, Burke said the former prisoners are more likely to fall into old patterns and end up back in prison.
Burke and the company have gotten the word out about the website largely through family connection centers and prison chaplains.
“We've made contacts throughout New Hampshire and are heading throughout New England and eventually the entire United States,” Burke said. “We've been sending letters to state officials about who we are and how we help families.”
The website is designed to be secure and is made mainly for the families to benefit the prisoners. A family member or friend will sponsor a prisoner and send out private invitations to others to be part of that network.
“People can send letters, photos, and magazines right from the website,” Burke said. “It's no different than what the inmates get now, but it reminds people that a loved one is away. It's huge for someone on the inside to feel like they are not alone and that they have someone on the outside.”
Burke said there have been many studies showing recidivism rates drop when prisoners are able to sustain family ties and contact with the outside world.
“I believe in the justice system, but 90 percent of inmates are out in three to five years,” Burke said. “There will be a transition at some point, and if the prisoners lose contact with the structure of their family and friends, then all they will know is the culture from the inside. If they have friends, they when they get out, they have a better chance to find housing and jobs.”
Burke said his company's goal is to be the biggest website in the world for families of the incarcerated.
“In my opinion, this is an essential tool for friends and family to help support their loved ones and keep hope alive.”
aswift@newstote.com
“It's heartbreaking to see what happens to the family structure,” said Derry resident Tim Burke. “The family and friends suffer as well.”
In January, Burke and a group of family, friends and investors launched myjailbird.com, a website that helps friends and family stay in touch with loved ones behind bars.
In addition to allowing the friends and family to form a support network, it allows people to easily send mail and other items to prisoners and sets reminders for when it is a prisoner's birthday or other occasion.
Although the prisoners themselves do not have access to the website, Burke said myjailbird.com functions as a way to make it easier for them to stay in contact with the outside world.
Burke, a Pinkerton Academy graduate, said he has always been interested in public affairs and human rights. He said he's had friends and family go through the prison system and decided to use the tools of social networking websites as something families could use to stay in touch with prisoners.
In addition to helping keep families together, Burke said the site can help prisoners make the transition to the outside world when they are released and hopefully cut down on repeat offenders.
“When these guys get out of prison, they have been away and isolated and have lost touch,” Burke said. With no support network when they get out of prison, Burke said the former prisoners are more likely to fall into old patterns and end up back in prison.
Burke and the company have gotten the word out about the website largely through family connection centers and prison chaplains.
“We've made contacts throughout New Hampshire and are heading throughout New England and eventually the entire United States,” Burke said. “We've been sending letters to state officials about who we are and how we help families.”
The website is designed to be secure and is made mainly for the families to benefit the prisoners. A family member or friend will sponsor a prisoner and send out private invitations to others to be part of that network.
“People can send letters, photos, and magazines right from the website,” Burke said. “It's no different than what the inmates get now, but it reminds people that a loved one is away. It's huge for someone on the inside to feel like they are not alone and that they have someone on the outside.”
Burke said there have been many studies showing recidivism rates drop when prisoners are able to sustain family ties and contact with the outside world.
“I believe in the justice system, but 90 percent of inmates are out in three to five years,” Burke said. “There will be a transition at some point, and if the prisoners lose contact with the structure of their family and friends, then all they will know is the culture from the inside. If they have friends, they when they get out, they have a better chance to find housing and jobs.”
Burke said his company's goal is to be the biggest website in the world for families of the incarcerated.
“In my opinion, this is an essential tool for friends and family to help support their loved ones and keep hope alive.”
aswift@newstote.com