Monday, September 14, 1998

8:30 AM - 5:30 PM Pre-conference workshop, Ann Adalist-Estrin and Khatib Waheed [Auditorium]

Working with families of offenders means joining with people from varied backgrounds. To work together more effectively, we need to become more skilled with race language and culture issues. Participants will learn ways race, language and culture issues impact working with families of offenders, strengthen race, culture and language skills and create a personalized developmental plan. (Presented with the support of the National Institute of Corrections.)

Tuesday, September 15, 1998

7:30 - 8:30 AM Registration and Continental Breakfast [Atrium]

8:30 - 10:00 AM General Session [Auditorium]

• Welcome and Introduction, Mustin
• Keynote Address, Gaines

10:00 - 10:30 AM

• Break [Atrium]

• Booksigning with Patrice Gaines [Auditorium]

10:30 - 11:45 AM Sessions

Cultural Support for Families of Offenders, Maisha Sullivan [Room C2]

Effective Strategies for Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents and Their Families, Toni Johnson

[Room A]

More than 1.5 million children in the U.S. have a parent or primary caregiver in prison. These children present a hidden population in our classrooms, our neighborhoods and on the caseloads of social service professionals. Because these children are 5 to 6 times more likely to go to prison than their peers, it is imperative that professionals acquire information that will assist in eliminating the cycle of intergenerational incarceration. Participants will be able to 1) outline the demographic profile of the children, offenders and families, 2) discuss the economic, social, physical and psychological impact that parental incarceration has on a child, 3) identify the characteristics and needs of these children, 4), identify micro and macro level intervention strategies and 5) apply a variety of intervention methods in their own practice.

Overview of Programs and Services for Families of Offenders and Ex-offenders, Ruth Cashmere [Balcony C]

An overview on accessing information, publications, services and select available grants pertaining to family and corrections.

Reducing Offending by Supporting Families: A New Zealand Perspective, Deanna Garrett [Auditorium]

Out of a population of 3.1 million, over 6,000 inmates are incarcerated in New Zealand prisons. PILLARS works closely with Christchurch prison staff and the New Zealand Children and Young Persons Service. Unlike some areas of the United States, the families usually live close to the regional prisons. This enables PILLARS to work with the inmates and their family members by setting family goals that address dysfunction and offending. Working with the whole family unit assists us in our mission of "reducing re-offending by strengthening the family/whanau." Although our programs have not been fully researched, we do conduct a five yearly programs audit to evaluate their effectiveness. PILLARS has been operating for ten years and has assisted over 5,000 families. It has extended its services from providing support groups and workshops for partners to providing client centered behaviour modification programs both in the prisons with the family members on the outside. It is well supported by the community and one third of the program is funded by government through a contractual arrangement.

Shifting Gears: Moving from Adult Corrections to Juvenile Justice, Jane Hall. [Room B]

Many displaced correctional staff have found work in youth services. While correctional staff work with inmate families, the contact tends to be more limited and less critical. With children, family contact may be a daily event. A very disturbing reality for former correctional staff is that some juvenile offenders are the children of adult inmates with whom they have worked. At the Wrightsville Youth Development Campus, staff have had unique opportunities to learn in transition. In a four month period, the adult facility was converted from an 1,150 medium security prison to a boot camp for juvenile offenders. In three more months, a long term juvenile population was added. The purpose of our presentation is to share what we have learned in transition particularly as it relates to family.

Support Groups for Families of Offenders, Barbara DeJong [Balcony B]

This is a panel discussion regarding support groups for families of the incarcerated. Panelists will be women who have been a member of Grand Rapids, Michigan support group and have had or still have a husband incarcerated. The session content includes objectives of a support group and how to set it up/ meetings/volunteers/child care. Input from wives of incarcerated will include difficulties of families on the outside, how support group has helped them, finding a place where you are accepted, and working together with others in group to solve problems.??

The Effects of Incarceration on the Family/Maintaining Family Ties, Nadine Anderson [Balcony A]

Nadine Anderson will tell of her struggle to keep her family together over more than two decades and two generations, during her husband’s incarceration and how this struggle gave her the courage to help thousands of other families through a statewide organization for "Families with Loved ones In Prison" (F.L.I.P.), which she founded in 1995. She will tell of the organization’s legislative efforts for policy change, its dealings with telephone overcharges. Why? And what? Keeps the organization going.

(Tuesday, September 15, 10:30 - 11:45 AM continued)

The Impact of Girl Scouts Beyond Bars: Mother and Child Outcomes at the KY Correctional Institution for Women, Anita Hufft [Room C1]

The Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (GSBB) program was initiated in the Kentuckiana Girl Scout Council, in collaboration with the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women and Indiana University Southeast in 1995. A health-promotion program evaluation model has been used to describe the program components and to assess the impact of the program on the participants and the community. A description of the characteristics of the GSBB program participants includes profiles of incarcerated mothers and information about mothers who choose NOT to join the Girl Scout troop. The girl scouts are described in terms of demographics, behavioral measures associated with categories of risk in children of incarcerated, and qualitative analysis of interactions and psychosocial responses to programming. Interviews with adult programmers, troop leaders and community volunteers are presented to complete a comprehensive description of the total program.

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM Box Lunch and Program Poster Session Touring [Atrium]

A Comprehensive Parenting Program for Women in Prison: The KCIW Model, Anita Hufft

The current parenting program at KCIW (Kentucky Correctional Center for Women) occurs within a framework evolving from multidisciplinary approaches to meeting the needs of incarcerated women. An inductive approach is described which revealed broad areas of common philosophy, theoretical understanding and experience related to intervening with parents in prison. Common goals related to improving parenting outcomes for mothers and their children, promoting family health and intervening in the cycle of intergenerational conflict with the criminal justice system are described. An overarching mission to place programming within the context of accountability to the public and to professional standards is presented, along with specific models and curriculum approaches for parenting skill building, from preconception to grandparenting.

Families in Crisis - Prevention Programs, Lisa Brett

Families in Crisis operates a transportation program which brings family members from around the state to see their loved ones who are incarcerated. The agency also operates walk in children’s centers at two Connecticut correctional facilities, utilizing both inmate and community volunteers.

Family Focus, Joan Mohler

Family Focus is a program designed in Washington State University to take family living skills into communities where they are most needed. The curriculum teaches a wide range of material in all areas of family life. Examples include building family unity, effective parenting, money management and lowering stress. Providing information for people of all income and educational levels, the skills are demonstrated by facilitators and practiced by participants through hands-on activities. The curriculum was recognized by department of corrections staff as particularly appropriate for inmates and their families. This program provides an important bridge between the prison and community recognizing the importance of the welfare of the whole family for a positive adjustment in the community.

Family Literacy Behind the Bars, Candace Burch

Have you ever thought about starting a program for female inmates and their children? This presentation will show you how the Florida Department of Corrections collaborated with the Florida Department of Education and six county school boards to begin an Even Start family literacy program in four of their female institutions.

FamilyWorks, Annamarie Lewis

The Osborne Association’s FamilyWorks program is believed to be the first parenting program for incarcerated fathers and their children at a men’s state prison. Currently operated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and Woodbourne Correctional Facility in New York, FamilyWorks offers parenting education and counseling, for inmate fathers, a children’s center at the prisons where the families visit and services to families in the community.

PACT, Debbie Key

PACT (Parents and Children Together), Fort Worth, Texas is a non-profit agency committed to preserving and strengthening families in crisis due to incarceration. PACT provides parenting programs at FMC-Fort Worth; FMC-Carswell; FCC-Coleman; USP-Atlanta; and TDCJ.

Reaching Out the Write Way, Pauline Geraci

In a classroom, male student inmates of all ages are engaged in writing children’s stories about cute little bears, shy cats, and cotton candy houses. They are also gluing paper stars and coloring in books. The students are actively engaged in making books for their children. The project is made possible through a $600 grant from the Minnesota Education Association (MEA) Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning which encourages creative and innovative projects that enhance teaching and learning. The grant, "Reaching Out the Write Way," is for students at Stillwater Correctional to write original illustrated children’s stories for their own children. Then they make the book the stories are going to be placed in. After a careful screening process, the books are sent out to their children so they can read and color in them.

Supporting Children and Families of Incarcerated Mothers: KIDS’n’KIN Muncy, Beth McLean

This program is a comprehensive support program for children and kinship caregivers of incarcerated mothers. The program employs a mix of social work services, family therapy services, family legal services, a children’s therapeutic group, and prison visits to assist the family, child and mother in handling the incarceration. Issues to be explored are guilt, shame, anger, loyalty, roles/boundaries, secrecy/disclosure, and working with life and death sentenced inmates.

Viewing the Family as a Resource, Marsha Engel

The family can be a resource for changing criminal behavior in offenders. The Detention Center provides aftercare and family visits for their MRT (Moral Reconation Therapy) participants. The CART program provides counseling for the entire family system, thereby effecting the natural environment of the offender so that positive behavioral changes can occur. This continuum of care that involves the family at each stage in the process is an effective process for rehabilitation.

Wings: A Ministry Outreach of the Logos System Associates, Ann Edenfield

Wings is a focused ministry outreach of the LOGOS System Associates supported by Prison Fellowship, a ministry reaching spouses and children of inmates with the nurturing relationships of Christian people in local congregations, a program to help families of prisoners find the loving acceptance of a church home, and a program ANY congregation, or group of congregations, in ANY community can easily duplicate. The Wings Program has the potential to involve Protestant and Roman Catholic churches in a meaningful year-round cooperative ministry to at-risk inmate children.

1:15 - 2:30 PM Sessions

Adult Incarcerated Offenders & Recollections of Family Life, Shirley Klein [Room A]

This session presents findings about internal dynamics of families of inmates and non-inmates. Using the Family Profile II scale, both inmates and non-inmates answered questions covering 12 key areas of family functioning as they remembered their families at about age 17. Results of this survey showed several significant differences in interactional styles and attitudes between prisoner and non-prisoner families of origin. Prisoners’ families of origin seem to have more extreme interaction dynamics than do non-prisoners’ families of origin. Family-related factors shown to the greatest determinants of prisoner status include social bridging, disengagement, and financial management. Differences between male and female inmates will also be discussed and implications for family-related interventions will be suggested.

Children of Prisoners: Voices of Experience, Emani Gaynes Davis [Auditorium]

This is a panel of young men and women (age 15 — 25) who have experienced the incarceration of a mother or father, or who currently have a parent incarcerated. The convener is Emani Davis, 19 whose father has been incarcerated in the Virginia prison system for the last 13 years. Emani is also the daughter of the executive director of the Osborne Association. The panelists will respond to a set of questions developed by Emani in advance, designed to assist the audience in understanding the experience from a child’s perspective. The panel will begin with the 11 minute videotape produced by the Osborne Association about children of prisoners. Emani is in the video; she was 14 at the time.

Israel’s Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority - Programs for the Families, Avraham Hoffmann [Room C2]

The Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority was founded in 1984 and had developed innovative rehabilitation programs for inmates and their families. This presentation will outline three programs: The Prisoners’ Children Program, The Fathers-Inmates group, and the Residential Hostel for released inmates, incarcerated for violent behavior toward their families.

Juvenile Sexual Offenders in Residential Treatment: Strategies for Working with Families, Barbara Goldenberg Libov [Room B]

The Abuse Treatment and Prevention Program at St. Mary’s takes a strict stance in terms of keeping victims and perpetrators apart until reunified in a therapeutic setting. Our primary goal is to protect the victim and the community at large. This position is problematic with families because many parents perceive us as keeping families apart. These complex issues will be addressed and specific strategies will be outlined to better deal with these issues proactively. For example, we meet with parents initially upon placement into the program in order to explain the rationale for our procedures which without explanation seem arbitrary to parents. Suggestions will be provided as to how to implement such programs with resistant families.

Mending the Tear in Family Relations: Reintegration Issues with Female Ex-Offenders and Their Mothers, Patricia O’Brien [Balcony B]

This workshop will describe issues women returning to the community after incarceration and/or involvement in the criminal justice system have to address to reconstruct relationships with their family of origin. Patricia O’Brien, primary presenter has completed an original study of 18 women in transition from incarceration in state and federal institutions and identified that dealing with past family relationships in a variety of ways was an important component of their post-incarceration success. The study findings will be presented in a context of reviewing the importance of relationships in women’s development and in recovery from crisis. The second presenter, Donna Dodson, a member of the study sample, will discuss some of her experiences post-incarceration with a special emphasis on describing the challenges and possibilities of her relationship with her own mother.

Parenting at a Distance, Jo Jorgenson [Balcony A]

This presentation provides an overview of the Rio Salado College program in a minimum security women’s prison. Studies have found that a majority of inmate mothers lack parenting skills and after release are unprepared to return to the role of parent. Without skills, the majority of inmates who return to their roles as parents perpetuate with their children the same cycle of abuse and neglect they themselves experienced. The program enables the "parent at a distance" to resume the vital relationship with her child bridging the gap prison has created, and strengthen the child, parent and family relationship.

The Emerging Role of Community Nonprofits as Advocates for the Incarcerated and Their Families, Michael Supancic [Balcony C]

In this absence of federal and/or state approved programs and services in most jurisdictions, we find that families and friends of the incarcerated are providing the information, education, awareness and unity to meet the immediate and long-term needs of prisoners themselves and their families serving time on the outside. A primary participant in this grass-roots effort is the nonprofit group or foundation at the community level. Of interest are the supportive programs and services being provided

(Tuesday, September 15, 1:15 - 2:30 PM continued)

by and for prisoners’ families in Texas. This presentation focuses on the nonprofit community and its role as 1) an emergent "leading edge" option in the area of criminal justice policy regarding crime prevention and 2) a facilitator in providing the services and programs being offered to these at-risk populations of youth and their families.

YES: A Prevention Program for School Aged Children of Offenders, Moureen Bish [Room C1]

YES is an after school enrichment and family resource program for school aged children (aged 6-12) that attend public school and have a parent in prison. The program is provided by Families In Crisis, Inc., a private non-profit agency located in Hartford, Connecticut. YES provides services that promote the emotional and physical well-being of children, enhance their social competency and support their school success. Parents/caregivers are invited to participate in a variety of programs that can improve their skills/abilities to meet basic needs, provide positive parenting and stabilize family life. Imprisoned parents are also included in the intervention cycle and receive services that will support the parent/child(ren) relationship during the period of incarceration and assist with matters regarding family reunification.

2:45 - 4:00 PM Sessions

Excessive Phone Charges, Charlie Sullivan [Balcony C]

This workshop will focus on CURE’s efforts over the last five years to reduce the excessive costs of inmate phone calls to families. These efforts include the pressuring of the Federal Communications Commission and state agencies and legislatures, as well as recent testimony before the American Correctional Association.

It is Better to Build a Child than to Repair an Adult, Sharon Darcy [Room C2]

Pathfinders of Oregon, Inc. operates a 180-hour psychological skill building/cognitive restructuring program in every prison in the State of Oregon. Since 1991, we have trained over 5,000 inmates and helped them transition into local communities with the services of a 12-hour a day hotline (which can be accessed from within the prisons as well as through a 1-800 number) and an advocacy team that is dedicated to finding solutions to survival problems encountered once they are released. We have found that we cannot deal with issues of transition and stabilization for our clients separate from the issues of family, particularly the concerns of their children. Our workshop will demonstrate the Pathfinders program and share the basics of our approach for working with at-risk youth.

Keeping Families Together, Changing Women’s and Children’s Lives, Karen Chapple [Balcony B]

The Summit House program strengthens the family by intervening in the lives of non-violent women offenders and their children. Comprehensive services are administered to the women and children through the efforts of a public-private partnership in a highly structured and controlled environment. Summit House has been recognized by President Clinton with the President’s Service Award and its model program has been published in many books and professional journals. This presentation will advocate for additional programs similar to the Summit House model internationally. The presentation includes an overview of the program, a summary of evaluations conducted of the program, a brief video of the Charlotte, North Carolina program and questions from workshop participants.

Meeting the Needs of Children of Incarcerated Mothers, Ann Craig [Balcony A]

Ann Craig will present the four factors that psychiatrist John Bowlby has found to be essential for children to resolve losses appropriately, and will show the way this has, and has not, been accomplished for women who are incarcerated. Case examples will be drawn from female inmates, all mothers, with whom she has worked, through the Parent Education Program (PEP) in Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Eagleville, Pennsylvania, during the past three years. Areas to be covered include: a profile of incarcerated mothers; conditions that help children resolve losses; providing explanations to children; mother/child prison visits; signs and symptoms of grief; and providing opportunities for children to say goodbye. An introduction to the PEP program will be provided by the director of the program, Dottie Schell.

Pre-Release Family Services - The Cleveland Federal Probation Office Response to the Impact of Incarceration on the Family, Donna Marie Kaminsky [Auditorium]

The Cleveland probation office recognizes the important role of the family in the rehabilitative process. We see that families, especially children, have many needs related to the incarceration of the family member, and that addressing these needs during imprisonment instead of at the time of release, as is traditional, contributes to a more effective period of parole or supervised released supervision. In the Prerelease Family Services program, about one year before release from prison, family members of the imprisoned are invited to attend an orientation program in the probation office. The first orientation was held in June of 1996 and meetings have been held regularly since that time. Family members are also invited to attend a support group. The office is now creating an independent, non-profit organization, "Family Bridges: Advocacy and Resource Services, Inc." to provide support services to the children and families of women and men who are serving federal prison sentences.

Research on Children of Incarcerated Parents, Denise Johnston [Room C1]

This session will review research approaches to, and reports on children of prisoners, and will examine the importance of research findings in improving the children’s lives.

Strategies for Providing Legal Assistance to Incarcerated Mothers, Martha Raimon [Room A]

The Incarcerated Mothers Law Project (IMLP) represents a unique collaboration between a social services agency like Women’s Prison Association and a provider of pro bono legal services like Volunteers of Legal Service. Together they created this special project that goes into correctional facilities to teach women inmates about their rights and responsibilities related to their children and the child welfare system. The attorneys also provide some representation in non-foster care cases, especially in arranging visitation with caretaker relatives. The presentation will highlight the successes in pushing reunification efforts. The federal Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which could have disastrous results for our clients, will also be discussed.

Welcome to Matthew House, Rosaleen Wilcox [Room B]

Mathew House has been providing programs and services to inmate families and loved ones for the past 18 years. Matthew House provides a clothing bank, food pantry, overnight accommodations, counseling, and referral. The agency also has a family bus service program which provides transportation to most of the reformatories in Washington State.

4:15 - 5:30 PM Sessions

Bridging the Gap Between the Criminal Justice and Child Welfare Systems, Ann Jacobs [Balcony B]

This workshop will review the work that Women’s Prison Association did under funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to assist jurisdictions review how their child welfare system dealt with incarcerated mothers. The abyss that exists between the systems works a tremendous hardship on children, on caretakers, on families, and on workers in both the child welfare and criminal justice systems. Participants will receive a copy of the tool produced to assist others in conducting a needs assessment of their own system. The session will also highlight the range of initiatives that have been undertaken to address some of the problems that were identified. These include informational materials for inmates and their families and outreach to and cross training for officials in each system.

Funding Family Programs: The Grantmakers’ Perspective, Edwin Hostetter [Auditorium]

Staff members of four charitable foundations will share their perspectives on what makes a grant succeed or fail to be funded. Moderator Edwin Hostetter has arranged for the following presenters: Katherine Diaz, Open Society Institute (Soros Foundations Network); Lorin Harris, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation; Benita Kornegay-Henry, Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation; and Renette Oklewicz, Freddie Mac Foundation.

Inner Strength: Working with Juvenile Justice, Val Joseph

[Room B]

This presentation will review the Omega Boys Club Violence Prevention model and share some of the challenges faced working inside of an institution.

Reducing the Trauma of Parental Arrest, Nancy Harm [Balcony C]

This session describes a model of intervention for relatives caring for children whose parents have been arrested or incarcerated and also illustrates the practical applications of program evaluation. Family Matters provides advocacy and support for caregivers and therapeutic intervention for the children in their care. Indicators being tracked include qualitative data from client satisfaction surveys and quantitative measures of socioeconomic status, caregiver’s depression, family empowerment, changes in the intensity and frequency of children’s behavioral, emotional and academic problems, access to essential resources, perceived support, and children’s exposure to trauma/life stressors. The session will address practical issues of program evaluation including informed consent, respondent’s burden, data collection and processing and the use of evaluation data as a tool for advocacy.

Teaching True Freedom: The Secret to Achieving Successful Family Life While Inside and After the Inmate’s Return to Society, Daniel Bayse [Balcony A]

The seminar presents a concept of true freedom that has produced noticeably improved inmate family relationships on three continents and reduced return rates by 50%. Easily adaptable methods linking the associated concepts with research into the criminal personality to help professionals, volunteers, and families achieve their rehabilitation goals will be provided.

The Aid to Imprisoned Mothers Program, Sandra Barnhill [Room C1]

AIM is a private non-profit community-based agency which deals with the critical needs of the children of incarcerated mothers and their families. For the children, we provide after school program mentors, Saturday activity days, trips to women’s’ prisons and a week long summer camp. For the caregivers, AIM hosts weekly support group meetings, quarterly social outings and provides parenting skills training and respite care. For the mothers, AIM publishes two self-help manuals: "Parenting from Prison" and "Jails and Justice." We also sponsor quarterly legal seminars at the women’s prisons and co-sponsor a pro-bono project with the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys which finds lawyers who will take one civil case a year for an incarcerated woman.

The Children’s Center, Elaine Roulet [Room A]

Part 1: Babies in Prison - presently we have 3 nurseries — 2 at Bedford & 1 at Taconic. Our nurseries offer comprehensive services for pregnant women, mothers and babies residing in the nursery. Our presenters will discuss the history of the prison nursery, prenatal and parenting classes, life in the nursery, the Infant Day Care Center, the transition from prison to home and Sponsor a Baby. Part 2: The Children’s Center/Creative Parenting - in addition to training inmate-caregivers who work in the center, we have Parenting Classes, Children’s Advocacy, Transportation, Even-Start, Family Literacy, Foster Care Workshops, Sponsor-a-Baby, Summer and Overnight Visiting and other seasonal activities. Our presenters will describe our ever-growing programs as well as our involvement with community volunteers.

5:30 - 6:30 PM Reception:
Presentation of Canadian Proposal

Wednesday, September 16, 1998

7:30 - 8:30 AM Registration and Continental Breakfast [Atrium]

8:30 - 10:00 AM Examining Policies, Creasie Finney Hairston, moderator [Auditorium]

10:00 - 10:15 AM Break [Atrium]

10:15 - 11:30 AM Sessions

Collaboration: Public Health Nursing and Prison Parenting Programs, Catherine Bruggeman and Mary Alley [Room B]

Women released from state and local correctional facilities generally return to their community and to an environment and circumstances which influenced their incarceration. In an effort to meet the needs of the most vulnerable women and children in the community, community health nurses provide parenting, prenatal education, case management of health needs, and home visitation to women released from local and state correctional facilities. These same services are available to family members who are caregivers to children of incarcerated parents. Parenting

classes have been offered at various facilities along with prenatal counseling and prerelease planning for pregnant women. This program is done in collaboration with the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (NCCW) in York, Nebraska, Douglas County

Correctional Center, and the Omaha Correctional Center/Work Release Program.

Connecting Prisons, School and Community, Mary Tripp [Balcony A]

A group of grade school children was assembled with their guidance counselors to discuss interpersonal issues. As a dialogue ensued, it became apparent that there was a secret burden that many of them shared; they had a parent who was incarcerated. The guidance counselors decided to create a spin-off group of these particular children to enable them to discuss this special issue. As they began to talk, the wall of shame started to be torn down. They became aware that they were not alone and they shared many of the same experiences and feelings. They decided to reach out to other children who were going through the same ordeal. They collated their artwork and writings into a publication entitled "If You Have a Parent in Jail, This Book is for You." The vocational students at the regional correctional center were given the task of printing the book. When these adults read the children’s words and encountered their artwork, its impression was profound. They wanted to respond in kind. Students from an English class and a Parenting class, facilitated by instructors, created a companion piece entitled, "Lock Down-Adults Talking to Kids About Jail." Through handouts and overheads, we will describe the process of creating these magazines and networking with the community.

Fatherhood, Carl Route [Balcony C]

The presentation looks at rites of passages for men (culturally relative) — some have them and some don’t. The unique roll of the male (inside and outside of prison) will be discussed along with the historical imputation of power (family, state, govern-ment) and the present relegation of power and responsibility will be attempted. Solutioneering will be attempted (Sometimes it is necessary to go backwards in order to go forward!).

Homecoming: Children, Families and Parole Adjustment, Ann Adalist-Estrin [Balcony C]

The session will explore issues related to the release of a parent from prison including the role of relationships before and during incarceration, the impact of visiting and the influence of culture and environmental stress on parole adjustment. Strategies for providing support for families (on the post-release period) will also be included.

My Child Always - A National Model of Family, School, Community Partnerships in the Juvenile Court and Community Schools/ Los Angeles County Office of Education, Ann Kinkor [Room C2]

Family, School, Community Partnership program for parents of youth at risk and with disabilities throughout its vast system serving almost 100,000 multicultural families. The workshop will present to its audience a national model of parent partnership strategies with educators and probation to address the unique family/ student needs for youth at risk incarcerated within one of the largest, fully accredited court and community school programs in the nation. The workshop will feature an overview of the program organization, structure, training and implementation strategies and presentation of a video curriculum.

Program Evaluation: A Walk Down "E" Street, Marilyn Moses [Auditorium]

Conferees attending this workshop will have an opportunity to walk down "E"valuation-Street. The presenter will give a live demonstration of the Bureau of Justice Assistance evaluation web site. This web site is an electronic roadmap for evaluation, which provides instructional materials to assist in planning, designing, and conducting evaluations. There will also be discussion of the unique challenges of evaluating programs serving those in the criminal justice system and their families.

Project SEEK: A Model for Prevention, Carol Burton [Room A]

Project SEEK is a comprehensive prevention program which targets children of inmates by reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors. The workshop will describe core principles and central elements of the program that lead to its effectiveness. Project staff will offer a variety of case studies.

Restorative Justice and the Family Jim Mustin and Ted Wachtel [Balcony B]

Restorative justice focuses on allowing those most affected by wrongdoing to identify and repair harm, unlike traditional justice that centers around determining guilt and dispensing of punishment. Restorative programs such as REAL JUSTICE conferencing directly involve families of both victim and offender in working through the impact of an offense and making amends. A 17-minute video will show how a family group conference works and its impact on many of those who have participated. Other conferencing models and the circle sentencing approach will also be discussed.

11:45 - 1:00 PM Sessions

An Interractive Parenting Program for Incarcerated Parents, Gretchen Newby [Balcony A]

Friends Outside National Organization has developed and implemented a parenting program that meets the special needs of incarcerated parents. This interactive, facilitated program addresses the primary causes of abuse and neglect in high risk families in a way that supports and nourishes parent/child attachment. Empathy is encouraged, child development and parental responsibilities are discussed, and self esteem nurtured. The goal of the program is to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect in high risk parents, and to enhance the possibility of successful reunification after release. The program meets the generally accepted requirements for parents ordered by the court to participate in a parenting education program as a condition of reunifying with their children and is currently offered in all 33 California state prisons, funded under contract by the Department of Corrections.

Family Centered Justice: Transforming Offenders and Victims from Harm to Healing to Wholeness, Graham Reddoch [Room C1]

Criminal activity wounds the families of both victims and offenders. Fear, confusion, defensiveness, betrayal, and withdrawal from community life are just some of the experiences of families affected by crime. But how does the criminal justice process deal with the pain and suffering of families? What role can families play in creating and insuring justice and reconciliation? This session will compare and contrast the involvement of the family in retributive and restorative justice processes. Please note: this is not a presentation about an existing program. Rather it is a facilitated round table dialogue about the involvement of potential role of families in addressing criminal justice concerns.

From the Inside Out-A Total Program, Teresa Fitzgerald [Balcony B]

Hour Children is a small and dynamic community-based organization which operates residences and programs for children and their mothers who are or were incarcerated in New York state correctional facilities. Founded only 11 years ago, Hour Children currently operates three residences in Queens. My Mother’s House provides homes for children whose mothers are incarcerated if there is no family member available to care for them; Hour Children II provides housing for recently released mothers and their children while they prepare for independent living elsewhere; and Hour Children III houses mothers on work release and their children.

Mothers and Children Together - A Holistic Approach to Families in Crisis, Marie Kenyon [Room A]

A panel of speakers will present efforts in St. Louis to provide support and advocacy on behalf of offenders, ex-offenders and their families through a variety of means with very little money. Several cooperating organizations will be presented including Mothers and Children Together, an advocacy group for incarcerated mothers and their children; Lets Start, an advocacy and support group for women ex-offenders; and the Criminal Justice Ministry, a group who minister to the incarcerated.

Strengthening Family Bonds from the Inside: Project IMPACT and the Parenting Program at SCI Muncy, Melinda Yowell [Room B]

Project IMPACT is a visiting center located inside SCI Muncy that provides a positive, home-like environment for the inmate mothers and their children. This enables them to visit without distracting activities of the common visiting room. Inmates serve on the steering committee, general membership committees, and even on the IMPACT board of directors. From the inception over eleven years ago, inmates at SCI Muncy have taken an active part in IMPACT’s programming and have played a significant role in its success. The Parenting Program provides therapeutic support groups, individual counseling services, and workshops. The Family Violence program, addresses the issues of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of abuse through an in-patient therapeutic community model along with out-patient support groups.

Substance Abuse and the Family: the Osborne Association’s FamilyWorks Program’s Approach, Elizabeth Gaynes [Room C2]

A recent report shows that approximately 80% of people incarcerated have issues regarding alcohol and other drugs. Drug-related arrests have fueled the prison explosion over the last 20 years. It is reasonable to assume that families of offenders are either directly or indirectly dealing with substance abuse issues. Staff members of the Osborne Association’ program, one of the first programs to serve incarcerated fathers, will discuss the FamilyWorks model and how it deals with substance abuse issues.

The Total Family Development Program, Donald Vowell [Balcony C]

This session will give the history of the Total Family Development program, describing how it uses a holistic approach to reach both special needs and general population inmates, struggling for needed legislation, outreach goals.

1:00 - 2:00 PM Lunch, [Cafeteria]

2:00 - 3:30 PM Closing Plenary Session [Auditorium]

• Voices and Visions

• Where Do We Go From Here, Debbie Key