A new report from the Urban Institute summarizes 6 programs for fathers with a history of incarceration. The following organizations and programs were included in the report:
Kanawha Institute for Social Research and Action, Inc. (KISRA), headquartered in Dunbar, West Virginia,
which called its program the West Virginia Pathways to Responsible Fatherhood Initiative
Lutheran Social Services (LSS), headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which called its program
Fatherhood and Families
New Jersey Department of Corrections’ (NJDOC) Office of Substance Abuse Programming and Addiction
Services, headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey, which called its program Engaging the Family
PB&J Family Services, Inc. (PB&J), headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which called its program the
Fatherhood Reentry Program
The RIDGE Project, Inc. (RIDGE), headquartered in McClure, Ohio, which called its program TYRO
Rubicon Programs, Inc. (Rubicon), headquartered in Richmond, California, which called its program Promoting
Advances in Paternal Accountability and Success in Work
The programs implemented several activities in corrections and community settings, mostly focusing on helping fathers reunite with their children and families. The Urban Institute concluded with 4 recommendations for such programs:
- Engage fathers in pre-release and post-release settings, as both have important opportunities.
- Use multiple ways of connecting fathers with their children and children’s caregivers, including classes to teach parenting skills, letters, video diaries, coached phone calls, parent-child contact visits, and family activity days.
- Address fathers’ needs for economic stability as part of such programs.
- Establish strong program-corrections relationships as a basis for establishing child-friendly visitation environments in jails and prisons.