Family and Fatherhood Program
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Transcript of Family and Fatherhood Program
Family and Fatherhood ProgramFamily and Fatherhood Program
McNeil Island Corrections CenterMcNeil Island Corrections Center““Keeping Communities Safe”Keeping Communities Safe”
Presenters: Rick Jordan, MICC Representative
Sylvia Peterson, Community Representative and Family Advocate
Research on Children Research on Children Without Involved FathersWithout Involved Fathers
• 70% offenders grew up without a father
• 5 times more likely to live in poverty
• 71% of high school drop outs
• Experience behavioral or emotional problems
• 10 times more likely to become juvenile offenders
Research on Children with Research on Children with Involved FathersInvolved Fathers• Sons learn male responsibility
and achievement• Daughters learn to trust men• Twice as likely to enter college• Twice as likely to obtain steady
employment• 75% less likely to have a teen
birth• 80% less likely to spend time
in prison
Challenges to overcomeChallenges to overcome
• Teaching offenders how to be involved parents while keeping the institution safe
• Determining offender eligibility for safety of children
• Changing prison culture• No funding• No additional staffing
We Took ActionWe Took Action
• Brainstorm• Survey and assess
family needs • Identify root causes
MICC & MICC & Community Advisory Community Advisory
CouncilCouncil
City Representatives Literacy
Family Advocates
Youth & Child-based
Groups
Faith-based Groups
School Representatives
Child Support
Community &
Citizen Leaders
We created a team to…
Cause and Effect Diagram
Limited involvement in children’s lives
Policies limit child/family involvement
No advocacy for fathers
Case plans do not include family activities
Phone Charges expensive
Limited visiting hours
Visiting Room not visitor friendly
Limited space for activities
Difficult access to island for visiting
Separated from children
No emphasis on paying child support
Prison culture does not support children
POLICY & PROCEDURESPLANT/EQUIPMENT
ENVIRONMENT
No involvement in children’s education
Limited parenting skills
Staff Attitude
Child’s guardian doesn’t want child to have contact with father
Single ParentsNo positive role models
PEOPLE
The Team Took ActionThe Team Took Action
• The Team Developed the Family and Fatherhood program
• In order to “Break the cycle” of present and future incarcerations
Components of the Family Components of the Family & Fatherhood Program& Fatherhood Program
• Offender Accountability
• Family Focused Skill Development
• Child and Family Focused Activities
• Family Support• Advocacy• Partnerships
Offender AccountabilityOffender Accountability• Incarcerated fathers need to
be personally and financially responsible for their children
• Offender case management plans address family & fatherhood issues
• Offender infraction history is reviewed prior to participation in program
Child & Family Focused Child & Family Focused ActivitiesActivities
Long Distance Dads
Family Dynamics
Partnership for Child Support
Women’s Seminar
Father/Child Gift Exchange
Father’s and Children’s Day
Strollers for Visitors
Read to Me Daddy
Books on the Boat
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Program Results
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Public Benefit - “Breaking the Cycle”
76% reduction of Serious Infractions of program participants.
Learning & Growth
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Family Friendly Activities became part of the Agency’s Strategic Plan
Average annual incarceration cost per offender $24,685• 302 children are affected by involved fathers. • This means 80% or 241 would be less likely to experience incarceration• Which means an average annual future prison cost avoidance $5.9 million
Reduce Future Incarceration Costs
Internal Process
Transitioning Families