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| Promoting Responsible Fatherhood | Federal Resource Site |
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Uniting Incarcerated Parents and Their FamiliesThis report describes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network workshop, Uniting Incarcerated Parents and their Families, held in Orlando, Florida, on May 21-22, 2002. Prepared by: Jeanette M. Hercik, Ph.D., Prepared for: Contents
Conference OverviewThe Welfare Peer Technical Assistance (TA) Network is a Federally funded initiative through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance. The objective of the Welfare Peer TA Network is to facilitate the sharing of information between and among States and to establish linkages between organizations serving the needs of welfare recipients. The U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF), with support from the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network, sponsored the Uniting Incarcerated Parents and their Families workshop on May 21-22, 2002, in Orlando, FL. Participants included representatives from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), corrections staff, and child care staff from the following States: Alabama, Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana. The purpose of this 2-day seminar was two fold: to provide participants with an opportunity to understand how TANF agencies and corrections staff can work together to better serve incarcerated parents and to showcase the Kairos Horizon’s faith-based program around parenting, anger management, conflict resolution, basic skills, and job readiness. The Kairos Horizon program is a yearlong multi-faith-based program that promotes personal responsibility, family responsibility, and employability. Kairos Horizon is an outgrowth of Kairos Prison Ministry, established in 1976 and active in 250 maximum and medium security prisons in the United States and abroad. By May of 2002, more than 270 men will have completed the the year-long Kairos Horizon program. The purpose of the program is to build links between the faith community and correctional institutions in order to achieve personal and family responsibility and employability. To increase personal responsibility, Kairos offers a 32-week program on parenting, anger management, and conflict resolution. In order to encourage family responsibility, fathers in jail write two letters a week to their children or family members. The Kairos Horizon program also offers education and job readiness programs to men. Many of the men in the program use computers to learn a basic set of computer skills. Men who do not have a high school diploma are also enrolled in GED classes or basic education classes that count as a work assignment. Kairos also offers programs on job interviewing skills. [Go to Contents] BackgroundThe number of parents in U.S. prisons is growing with the increasing use of incarceration as a criminal penalty. In 1999 the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated that 721,000 State and Federal prisoners were parents to almost 1.5 million children under the age of 18.(1) Since 1991, the number of minor children with a parent in State or Federal prison increased by over 500,000, from 936,500 to 1,498,000 in 1999.(2) In looking at the characteristics of incarcerated parents, 93% of incarcerated parents are male and 89% of them are housed in State prisons. Approximately half of all parents in State prisons are African American, 29% are White and 19% are Hispanic. Almost half of all inmates have never been married. 70% of inmates do not have a highschool diploma. The majority of parents are in prison for violent offenses (44%) or drug offenses (24%). Many incarcerated parents also have substance abuse problems. A majority of parents in State prisons (85%) reported using drugs in the past and 58% reported using drugs a month before their arrest.(3) While in prison, many parents do not have interaction with their children on a regular basis. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, a majority of both fathers (57%) and mothers (54%) in State prison reported never having a personal visit with their children since entry into prison.(4) The distance between the prison and the family home can account for such high numbers. Prisons are often located in remote or rural areas which are not accessible by public transportation. More than 60% of parents reported being held over 100 miles from their previous place of residence.(5) Research on children of incarcerated parents is quite limited. However, existing research has shown that children of incarcerated parents experience many negative effects in terms of emotional health and well being. Fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, loneliness, guilt, low self-esteem, depression, and emotional withdrawal are some of the emotional and behavioral problems that children with incarcerated parents can have.(6) These children may also act out inappropriately, become disruptive in the classroom, and perform poorly in their schoolwork.(7) Another negative effect is that children with incarcerated parents are five times more likely to serve time in prison when they are adults in comparison to children whose parents are not incarcerated.(8) Many State and local agencies as well as community and faith based agencies are developing programs to unite incarcerated parents and their children while parents are in prison. In 1997, the Child Welfare League of America surveyed child welfare agencies and twenty-eight States reported information on programs and services available to children with incarcerated parents. Most of these States arrange for visits between incarcerated parents and their children.(9) Promoting responsible fatherhood has become a top priority for States. All fifty States have responsible fatherhood programs and many States are designing programs to enhance the parenting skills of incarcerated parents.(10) States can use TANF funds for programs that assist incarcerated parents as long as the services provided meet the purposes of TANF. Two of these purposes include: ending the dependence on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage; and encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Other funding sources are available from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) include several new fatherhood initiatives to assist States with increasing the involvement of fathers in their children’s lives. President Bush’s Initiative on Mentoring Children of Prisoners would provide $25 million to fund a program for FY 02 to mentor and provide support services to children while their parents are imprisoned. These competitive grants will be available to governments and faith-based community organizations.(11) Another initiative, the Helping Fathers in the Criminal Justice System initiative, would support State and local projects that offer services to non-custodial parents who are incarcerated or unemployed in order to increase employment and re-enter their communities.(12) An important part of responsible fatherhood is providing financial support. The 1996 Federal welfare law requires States to have stricter child support enforcement programs. States are allowed to impose penalties such as revoking drivers and professional licenses, denying passports, expanding wage garnishment, and seizing assets of delinquent parents.(13) Non-custodial parents are required by law to pay child support while they are in prison, despite a reduction in wages. Some States allow reductions in monthly payments if an incarcerated parent files a written request.(14) Many positive outcomes can result from increasing a father’s emotional and financial involvement in his children’s lives while he is incarcerated. One such benefit is reducing recidivism. Fathers who have a connection to their children maybe less likely to re-commit a crime. Children will also benefit from having relationships with their fathers. Research conducted by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Fatherhood Initiative shows:
[Go to Contents]
Workshop Sessions
1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Linda Dilworth, Director of Economic Self Sufficiency for Florida’s Department of Children and Family Services, welcomed participants to the State of Florida. Florida, like other States, has had their share of economic woes since September 11th. However, the State has achieved successes in transitioning welfare recipients to work. Looking to the next stage of welfare reform, incarcerated parents pose a challenge. She stressed the importance of State strategizing to help incarcerated parents so as they leave prisons they are better able to reunite successfully with their families, their communities and be employable. Mickey Griffin, Director of Programs, Kairos Horizon Program, thanked participants for the opportunity to showcase the Kairos Horizon program. The first Kairos Horizon program was established at the Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach, Florida in collaboration with the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Commission on Responsible Fatherhood. Ike Griffin serves as Executive Director of the Kairos Horizon program. John Horejsi, the Federal Project Officer for the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance, thanked the State of Florida and Mickey and Ike Griffin of the Kairos Horizon Program for hosting the conference. Mr. Horejsi also thanked the Region IV and Region VI Representatives, Greg Campbell and Bob Sluss. This workshop reaffirms the commitment to non-custodial parents and the 1.5 million children with incarcerated parents. Mr. Horejsi also talked about the origins of the Welfare Peer TA Network. The Welfare Peer TA Network was started because States requested “State Initiated TA” States wanted access to technical assistance and information about initiatives and programs occurring outside the region and wanted to learn from each other. The Welfare Peer TA Network has hosted over 100 events around such topics as urban issues, one-stops, faith-based initiatives, hard-to-serve, high performance bonuses, and IDAs. The Welfare Peer TA website highlights relevant policy research, innovative programs, related links and upcoming events, and has interactive question and answer sessions. Bob Sluss welcomed the conference participants on behalf of Regions IV and VI. There have been a lot of successes over the past 5 years since welfare reform, incuding a 50% decrease in the welfare rolls. The current challenge is how to help the hardest-to-serve. States are being asked to develop new and innovative strategies to re-unite incarcerated parents with their families to further decrease the rolls. The Kairos program is an example of an innovative program that is making great headway. In the upcoming year, the Kairos program will work with 30 prisons in Texas. 2. PERSPECTIVES ON INCARCERATED PARENTS
Joseph Stillman, a consultant, began this session by familiarizing participants with the scale of the issues around incarceration. In 2001, approximately 2 million inmates were in State or Federal prisons. 98% of these inmates were men. A large percentage of these inmates are African American or Latino. The rate of incarceration has expanded over the past 30 years. From 1920 to 1973 the rate of incarceration remained stable at 110 prisoners per 100,000 citizens. However, from 1973 to 2001 the rate increased four fold to a rate of 452 prisoners per 100,000 citizens. Mr. Stillman provided participants with the number of incarcerated individuals in each of their States:
In terms of prisoner re-entry, almost 600,000 inmates are released or return home per year. This equals 1,600 per day. In 2002, the number of releases is expected to increase by 5% to 630,000. Mr. Stillman presented information on incarcerated parents and their children. 50% of incarcerated men are parents while almost 70% of incarcerated females are parents. At the end of 1999, approximately 1.5 million children had one or both parents in prison. Since 1991, the number of children with parents increased from 500,000 to 1.5 million. In response to the large number of incarcerated parents, many State, community and faith-based agencies, and foundations are designing prisoner re-entry programs. Mr. Stillman talked about common themes that successful initiatives and programs have had:
In addition to these initiatives, it is important that collaboration occur between Department of Corrections, TANF offices, and Offices of Child Support and Enforcement. Each of these offices has specific goals related to incarcerated parents. The Department of Corrections has a goal of reducing recidivism. However, this division is often under pressure to impose strict sentences. TANF agencies are concerned with moving welfare recipients off the rolls. The Office of Child Support and Enforcement’s top priority is to collect child support payments. Each of these offices have different goals and priorities and therefore collaboration can be difficult.
During this session Mr. Stillman facilitated a discussion where participants divided into groups by State and identified their systems assets and challenges for serving incarcerated parents. Emphasis was placed on how TANF and corrections staff do or don’t collaborate in serving families. Florida: Participants identified the following strengths:
Participants identified the following challenges:
Louisiana Participants identified the following strengths:
Participants identified the following challenges:
Ohio Participants identified the following strengths:
Participants identified the following challenges:
Oklahoma Participants identified the following strengths:
Participants identified the following challenges:
Texas:
Participants identified the following challenges:
Florida’s Commission on Responsible Fatherhood Matthew Munyon gave a presentation entitled, “Florida Focuses on Fathers.” During the first part of the presentation Mr. Munyon asked participants questions about fatherhood and then presented information on the answers. Q: How many of you believe father absence is one of our most significant problems? A: In 1992, a Gallup Poll found that 70% of Americans feel that father absence is the most significant problem. In 1996, the same Poll found that 79% of Americans feel that father absence is the most significant problem. Q: What are the three types of father absence? A:
Mr. Munyon presented research on the percentages of children growing up in households without fathers.
Q: What are the main pathways to father absence? A:
In 1960, there were 200,000 children born out-of-wedlock. This number increased to 1,200, 000 in 1999. In 1960, there were 400,000 divorces. In 2001, this number increased to 1,100,000. Q: In 1974, divorce became the number one reason for marriages ending. What was the number one reason prior to 1974? A: Death Mr. Munyon talked about the impact of father absence on education:
Q: What was Florida’s response to father absence? A: Established the Commission on Responsible Fatherhood in 1996 Florida’s Commission on Responsible Fatherhood is comprised of 25 commissioners. Among these Commissioners, 7 are Governor appointed, 10 are organization-appointed, 5 are legislative and judicial-appointed, and 3 are commission-appointed. Organization appointed members include:
The Commission’s vision is to have Florida’s children grow up with two parents who are actively involved in their lives and are mutually responsible for loving, nurturing, supporting, and protecting them. The Commission has three goals which include raising awareness, identifying barriers, and identifying strategies. These goals are listed below along with the strategies and program ideas to achieve them. Goal 1: Raising Awareness In order to raise awareness, the commission disseminates information through presentations, their web site, billboards, and conferences. Goal 2: Identifying Barriers The Commission’s second goal is identifying barriers to responsible fatherhood. Examples of barriers include:
Goal 3: Identifying Strategies The third goal of the Commission is to identify strategies for responsible fatherhood. These strategies include:
Linking Incarcerated Parents and their Families-Outcome MeasuresDuring this session, Dr. Key provided participants with background information on the scope of the issue of incarcerated parents and their children, talked about outcomes and measuring a program’s success, and presented information on effective program strategies. For the first part of the session, Dr. Key provided participants with research on incarcerated parents and their families:
Obstacles to connecting incarcerated parents and their families include:
Dr. Key talked about three specific outcomes and how to measure them. The first outcome is a prisoner’s changed heart. This outcome can be measured by feelings, anecdotal records, observations, and case studies. Another outcome is when prisoner’s change their mindset or thinking. This outcome can be measured by tests, scales, and surveys. A final outcome is when prisoners start to change their actions or acts. Observations, results, and mapping are ways to measure this outcome. For the next part of the session, Dr. Key provided participants with information on three innovative programs on uniting incarcerated parents and their families. He emphasized effective program strategies. Long Distance DadsLong Distance Dads is a character-based education and support program that was started in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections at the State Correctional Institution at Albion. The program assists incarcerated men in developing skills to become more involved and supportive parents. The Long Distance Dads program is used in at least one Federal, State, or community correctional facility in 26 States.(16) Program strategies include helping inmates with the following:
Prison Fellowship Inner ChangeThe Inner Change Freedom Initiative (IFI) is a faith-based prison program. The mission of the Initiative is to create and maintain a prison environment that fosters respect for God’s law and rights of others’, and to encourage the spiritual and moral regeneration of prisoners. The program is currently used in three States: Texas, Iowa, and Kansas. The program consists of four phases:
IFI measures the success of its program at three levels. The program assesses the extent to which the program changes participants’ behavior. This is done by comparing IFI inmates with a match control group of inmates who are similar in every way except they are not in the IFI program. IFI evaluates changes in all aspects of their behavior in prison and after they have been released into the community. This includes in-prison infractions, rearrest rates, reconviction rates, as well as positive action evidenced both in prison and in the community. The second level is an evaluation of the extent to which the values, beliefs, and attitudes of IFI prisoners have changed or are changing as a result of participation with the program. A fundamental shift of value and worldview is viewed as an essential step of long-term behavioral change. Fundamental shifts in values and beliefs are the primary objective of Prison Fellowship while behavioral change is a secondary Prison Fellowship objective and a primary objective for the State. Third, the evaluation seeks to identify specific programmatic elements that contribute to observable outcomes.(18) Kairos-Horizon ProgramMickey Griffin, Director of Programs for the Kairos Horizon Program, presented information on the structure of Kairos and the program design in order to introduce participants to the program and set the stage for the site visit. Kairos Horizon is an outgrowth of Kairos Prison Ministry, established in 1976 and active in 250 maximum and medium security prisons in the United States and abroad. Kairos Horizon has operated three year-long, faith-based communities in Florida, Ohio, and Arizona prisons. The program promotes personal responsibility, family responsibility, and employability. The purpose of the program is to build links between the faith community and the correctional institutions in order to achieve personal and family responsibility and employability. To increase personal responsibility, Kairos offers a 32-week program on parenting, anger management, and conflict resolution. Volunteers from churches serve as community mentors for fathers in prison. In order to encourage family responsibility, fathers in jail write two letters a week to their children or family members. Fathers also participate in the family reading ties program which is a 6-week journaling series based on fatherhood issues. At the end of the series, the fathers select a book from a group of award-winning children’s literature authors and record the book or excerpts on tape. The book and tape are usually sent to the children of these fathers. The Kairos Horizon program also offers education and job readiness programs to men. Many of the men in the program use computers to learn a basic set of computer skills. Men who do not have a high school diploma are also enrolled in GED classes or basic education classes that count as a work assignment. Kairos also offers programs on job interviewing skills. The Kairos Horizon program has had success with working with fathers on reconnecting with their families. By the end of May of 2002, more than 270 men will have completed the year-long Kairos Horizon program. In addition, the stories of family reunification are inspiring. Fathers and mothers have come to visit their sons for the first time in 12 years. Children have become reunited with their fathers after many years of estrangement. Grandparents connecting with grandchildren that they had not met before. The Kairos Horizon program has made great progress in reducing recidivism. Studies conducted by the Florida Department of Corrections showed that participants in Kairos Horizon program’s follow-up activities have a 57% decline in recidivism in comparison to similar offenders. Ms. Griffin talked about the tools, processes, and elements of best practices of the Kairos Horizon program. Collaboration among Florida’s Fatherhood Initiative, a ministry, and the Florida Department of Corrections has created a stable and reliable base for the implementation and continuation of programs around incarcerated parents and family relations. Another best practice of the Kairos Horizon program is holistic programming. Programs are designed to support the mental, spiritual, and emotional needs of participants in an integrated way in contrast to solely focusing on one aspect. The program also addresses educational and employability needs. The credibility of community volunteers in the Kairos Horizon program is another best practice. Many of the programs are facilitated by volunteers in small group settings of six or eight men. Since community volunteers are not paid or part of the system they are viewed very favorably by the inmates. The Kairos Horizon’s program’s priority of family relations has contributed to the program’s success. The program focuses on personal responsibility and strengthening family ties which permits families to welcome the inmate back. Personal changes can be seen through weekly letters sent to family members. Separate programs are provided to wives and female loved ones and for the children to strengthen the father’s presence in the family. As a result, family ties have been restored, even among families who have not been in contact for over ten years. 5.SITE VISIT TO THE KAIROS HORIZON PROGRAMOn the second day of the workshop, participants had the opportunity to visit the Kairos Horizon site. At the beginning of the site visit, participants were divided into small groups so that they could talk with the prisoners in the Kairos program. Although conversations differed by group, prisoners talked about why they were in prison, how the Kairos program has helped them, and their family life. Some of the ways that the Kairos Horizon has helped them include: improved parenting skills, respect, and positive changes. After the group sessions, the participants toured the dorms. Prisoners in the Kairos program are housed in dorms that are separate from the rest of the prisoners. Inside the dorms, these prisoners are part of a family pod. These prisoners also have access to computers and a library. The participants also had the opportunity to talk to the staff of the Kairos program during the site visit. 6. WORKING LUNCH: REFLECTIONS ON THE KAIROS HORIZON PROGRAM: THOUGHTS FROM PROGRAM AND WELFARE PROVIDERS
During this interactive session, participants had the opportunity to share their reactions to the Kairos Horizon site visit. The following comments were made about the site visit:
7. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACTION PLAN FOR WORKING WITH INCARCERATED PARENTS
During this session participants divided into groups by State and identified practical next steps for working with incarcerated parents. Oklahoma
Ohio
Louisiana
Texas
Florida
[Go to Contents] Seminar Evaluations
This section summarizes evaluation forms and written comments about the seminar. 1. SEMINAR EVALUATIONSAt the conclusion of the seminar, attendees were asked to complete an evaluation form. 1.1 Evaluation form Question: “Please rate the following on a scale of 1 to 4”Exhibit IV-I summarizes the respondents’ rating of the participant binders/resource materials, session organization/flow of day, question and answer opportunities, and overall seminar. The following scale was used: 1 = poor, 2 = satisfactory, 3 = good, 4 = excellent.
1.2 Evaluation form Question: “Please rate the overall service of the facilitators and speakers on the following issues using a scale of 1 to 4 (1=poor, 2=satisfactory, 3=good, 4=excellent)Exhibit IV-II summarizes the respondents’ rating of the facilitators and speakers knowledge about the content of the seminar, background and experience related to the content of the seminar, and overall rating of the facilitators of the speakers. The following scale was used: 1 = poor, 2 = satisfactory, 3 = good, 4 = excellent.
2. WRITTEN COMMENTSParticipants were also given the opportunity to provide open-ended comments. A summary of their responses is as follows: 2.1 Participant Binders/Resource Materials
2.2 Session Organization/Flow of Day
2.3 Question and Answer Opportunities
2.4 Overall Seminar
2.5 Benefits Anticipated as a Result of the Seminar
2.6 What Was Most Useful About This Seminar?
2.7 How Could the Seminar Have Better Met Your Needs?
2.8 Other Comments
[Go to Contents] Endnotes1. Mumola, Christopher. “Incarcerated Parents and their Children.” Bureau of Justice Statistics: Special Report. August 2000, page 1. 2. Mumola, Christopher. “Incarcerated Parents and their Children.” Bureau of Justice Statistics: Special Report. August 2000, page 1. 3. Travis, M. Waul, and A. Solomon. “The Impact of Incarceration and Reentry on Children, Families and Low-Income Communities.” Forthcoming. Washington, DC: Urban Institute 4. Mumola, Christopher. “Incarcerated Parents and their Children.” Bureau of Justice Statistics: Special Report. August 2000, page 1. 5. Mumola, Christopher. “Incarcerated Parents and their Children.” Bureau of Justice Statistics: Special Report. August 2000, page 1. 6. The Osborne Association (1993) “How Can I Help? Working with Children of Incarcerated Parents.” In Serving Special Children (vol. 1) New York: The Osborne Association cited in Seymour, Cynthia. “Children with Parents in Prison: Child Welfare Policy, Program and Practice Issues.” Child Welfare League of America, accessed online: www.cwla.org/programs/incarcerated/so98journalintro.htm 7. Gabel, S. (1992) “Children of Incarcerated and Criminal Parents: Adjustment, Behavior, and Prognosis. Bullentin of the American Academy of Psychiatry Law, 20, 33-45 cited in Seymour, Cynthia. “Children with Parents in Prison: Child Welfare Policy, Program and Practice Issues.” Child Welfare League of America, accessed online: www.cwla.org/programs/incarcerated/so98journalintro.htm 8. Petersilia, Joan. “When Prisoners Return to the Community: Political, Economic, and Social Consequences.” Sentencing and Corrections. November 2000. Page 1. 9. Seymour, Cynthia. “Children with Parents in Prison: Child Welfare Policy, Program and Practice Issues.” Child Welfare League of America, accessed online: www.cwla.org/programs/incarcerated/so98journalintro.htm 10. Brenner, Eric. “Fathers in Prison: A Review of the Data.” National Center on Fathers and Families Brief. 1998 11. “Promoting Responsible Fatherhood” HHS Fact Sheet, April 26, 2002. Accessed online at: http://fatherhood.hhs.gov/factsheets/fact20020426.htm 12. Ibid. 13. Title III cited in “Getting to Work: How TANF Can Support Ex-Offender Parents in the Transition to Self-Sufficiency.” Legal Action Center. April 2001. 14. Pearson, Jessica and Hardaway, Chris. “Designing Programs for Incarcerated and Paroled Obligers.” Welfare Information Network. August 2000. Accessed online: www.welfareinfo.org/expandedcasestudy.htm 15. “HHS Fatherhood Initiative” HHS Fact Sheet June 21, 1999. Accessed online at: http://fatherhood.hhs.gov/factsheets/fact990621.htm 16. National Fatherhood Initiative: “Long Distance Dads: Incarcerated Fathers Program.” Accessed online at: http://www.fatherhood.org/lddads.htm 17. “About-IFI Program” The InnerChange Freedom Initiative Accessed online at: http://www.ifiprison.org/aboutprogram.shtml 18.
“About IFI-FAQ’s” The Inner Change
Freedom Initiative. Accessed online at: |
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Last Revised: June 9, 2006
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