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