Bridges of Hope

10/01/2026

We know families have questions about the HUGS Act and what it will mean for visiting.

Bridges of Hope, Essie Justice Group, and Restoring Hope California created these fact sheets to provide families with clear, accessible information about the new law and what to expect as CDCR begins implementation.

We’re sharing them in English and Spanish because every family deserves access to information that directly impacts them.

Please feel free to save, share, and reach out with questions.

Sabemos que las familias tienen preguntas sobre la Ley HUGS y lo que significará para las visitas.

Bridges of Hope, Essie Justice Group y Restoring Hope California crearon estas hojas informativas para brindar a las familias información clara y accesible sobre la nueva ley y qué esperar mientras CDCR comienza su implementación.

Compartimos esta información en inglés y español porque todas las familias merecen tener acceso a información que les afecta directamente.

Les invitamos a guardar y compartir esta información, y a comunicarse con nosotros si tienen preguntas.

Restoring Hope California Essie Justice Group

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

WE DID IT! 🥹❤️ Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1645—the HUGS Act into law!

This is a huge moment for every family navigating incarceration and especially for the children who count down the days until they can hold their moms and dads. It’s also for the mother embracing her adult child, the spouse holding their partner, and the loved ones who keep showing up.

Family connection supports rehabilitation, offers hope, and helps build stronger families and safer communities. A hug can mean so much when time together is limited. ❤️

Bridges of Hope is deeply proud to have co-sponsored this much-needed legislation alongside our friends and partners in the movement; Restoring Hope California & Essie Justice Group.

Thank you to Assemblymembers Mark González and Isaac Bryan, our partners, and every family, advocates and supporters who helped make this possible.

The work we do today can touch generations beyond us. We celebrate this victory for our families, our children, and everyone who comes after us.

The law takes effect in January 2027. ❤️



Restoring Hope CaliforniaEssie Justice GroupBridges of Hope

09/29/2026

🚨 🚨 FINAL PUSH: HELP US BRING 47 FAMILIES TOGETHER!

Everything has been approved by the facilities please help with our last ask
Our Reconnecting Families Graduation & Family Celebration Days are almost here at CCWF, followed by Salinas Valley State Prison. 🥹♥️

First, THANK YOU to everyone who has already purchased from our Amazon Wishlist, donated or shared. You are helping make these moments possible.

We’re working to bring 47 families to celebrate their moms and dads. That includes helping with gas stipends, airfare, hotel stays and $50 gift cards for each child to help with formal wear.

And this part means so much to us:

✨ Our participants won’t be in their prison blues. They’ll be in their BEST. ✨

For this day, their children won’t just see someone incarcerated. They get to see Mom or Dad dressed up, graduating, being celebrated and standing proudly in front of their family. ♥️

We still need your help to finish our Amazon Wishlist!

🛒 SHOP • DONATE • SHARE

Amazon list : https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DSU27HKQSYO1?ref_=wl_share

Donate: https://www.pledge.to/website-form-4403

Share: ♥️

Every item and every share gets us closer.

47 families. 47 opportunities to create a new memory.

🌉 Reconnecting families. Building Bridges. Breaking cycles.

09/24/2026

Proud to be co-sponsors! We put in a lot of work this legislative session!

📣 AB 2428 has been signed into law!

AB 2428, authored by Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez and signed by Governor Newsom on September 20, 2026.

This legislation eliminates specified criminal administrative fees and ends collection of covered unpaid fee debt beginning January 1, 2027; a meaningful step toward ending the financial burdens that keep individuals and families trapped in poverty.

Families deserve the opportunity to rebuild their lives without having to choose between court fees and basic needs like housing, food, and transportation. Justice should never depend on what someone can afford.

We celebrate this collective victory alongside the bill’s sponsors: Debt Free Justice California, Bridges of Hope, Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ), All of Us or None (AOUON), Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC), Jesse’s Place Organization, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), Restoring Hope California, and The Maven Collaborative.

Thank you to the advocates, community members, and coalition partners who helped move this work forward. Together, we are removing barriers and creating more room for hope.

Healing Individuals. Strengthening Families. Restoring Communities.

Proud to be a co-sponsors!

09/23/2026

A heartfelt thank you to my friend and fellow warrior advocate, Candace Chavez Wilson, for her generous $100 donation! ♥️

Your continued commitment to justice and impacted families is deeply appreciated. Thank you for being Because of your generosity, we have now raised $800 from five donors!

Every donation brings us closer to creating life-changing reunions for 38 families at CCWF and Salinas Valley State Prison.

📲 Text RCF to 707070
🔗 https://www.pledge.to/reconnecting-families

Bridges of Hope CA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and every donation is tax-deductible 🙏🏽

09/22/2026

A very special thank you to Joanne Scheer for her incredibly generous $500 donation♥️

Joanne, you are so much more than a donor. You are a true warrior for justice, a cherished friend, and an invaluable member of the Bridges of Hope CA Board. I am deeply thankful for your heart, your friendship, and the many ways you continue to stand beside me, our organization, and the families we serve🫶🏽✨

Because of Joanne’s generosity, we have now raised $700 from four donors! Every gift brings us closer to creating these life-changing reunions for 38 families at CCWF and Salinas Valley State Prison.

📲 Text RCF to 707070
🔗 https://www.pledge.to/reconnecting-families

Bridges of Hope CA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and every donation is tax-deductible 🙏🏽

09/21/2026

It’s a 503 type of thang… one year later.. Remember this picture💗

This was when we ran program
3 days.
9 sessions.
36 women.
One powerful beginning.

A year ago, the Bridges of Hope CA team launched Reconnecting Families at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF).

We held space for 36 incredible women through sessions that were honest, vulnerable, reflective, and deeply healing. Most of the participants were mothers navigating separation, custody concerns, and the difficult journey of reconnecting with their children.

During those sessions, we shared a vision: one day, we would bring mothers and their children together for a Reconnecting Families Graduation Celebration filled with dancing, family art activities, healing, and uninterrupted moments of connection.

The room filled with hope.

Next month, that vision becomes reality.

Bridges of Hope CA will host this very graduation celebration, bringing incarcerated mothers and their children together to create memories, strengthen their bonds, and experience the joy of simply being a family.

What began as a dream is now becoming a beautiful moment for mothers and their children, a day they will never forget.

Women behind the walls are still mothers, daughters, partners, leaders, and vital members of their communities. As a women-founded organization, we remain committed to centering their experiences, strengthening family bonds, and turning hope into action.

One year later, we are still building, still bridging, and still keeping families connected.

We need our community’s help bringing this celebration to life. Your support will help provide transportation, lodging, meals, family activities, decorations, gifts for the children, and other event needs.

To make a tax-deductible pledge, text RCF to 707070 or visit:
https://www.pledge.to/reconnecting-families

You can also purchase an item directly from our Amazon Wish List:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DSU27HKQSYO1?ref_=wl_share

Every donation, purchase, share, and prayer helps us create an unforgettable day for these mothers and their children.

09/16/2026

A heartfelt thank you to the Shawn Simono for their generous $50 donation! ♥️ Your gift will help provide a child with special clothing for our Reconnecting Families celebration and create a beautiful memory with their parent.

Each donation Helps us reach our $10,000 goal and reunite 38 families at CCWF and Salinas Valley State Prison!

📲 Text RCF to 707070
🔗 Donate online: https://www.pledge.to/reconnecting-families

Bridges of Hope CA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and every donation is tax-deductible. Every gift helps bring a family back together. 🙏🏽

LIKE•SHARE•REPOST

09/16/2026

A heartfelt thank you to the Medrano family for their generous $50 donation! ♥️ Your gift will help provide a child with special clothing for our Reconnecting Families celebration and create a beautiful memory with their parent.

Help us reach our $10,000 goal and reunite 38 families at CCWF and Salinas Valley State Prison!

📲 Text RCF to 707070
🔗 Donate online: https://www.pledge.to/reconnecting-families

Bridges of Hope CA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and every donation is tax-deductible. Every gift helps bring a family back together. 🙏🏽