A Focus on Fathers

Programs at CCA facilities help incarcerated dads sustain bond with their kids

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Inmates select books to record for their children.

This Fathers’ Day, some incarcerated fathers housed at CCA facilities can celebrate being better dads, thanks to programs designed to help them reconnect with or stay connected with their children.

Last year, Cimarron Correctional Facility implemented a program called Fathers Acting to Heal, Educate and Reconnect (F.A.T.H.E.R). Forty-four fathers have graduated so far and the facility recently held its third graduation ceremony, which was covered by a local news station. The class has become so popular that there’s now a wait list to join. (Click here to find out what incarcerated dads had to say about how the program has enhanced their parenting skills).

F.A.T.H.E.R is the only group of its kind in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. The curriculum was developed at the request of the North Carolina Department of Corrections by Motheread, Inc., with extensive input from offender fathers. Curriculum topics include understanding children’s reactions to incarceration, communicating from a distance, building self-esteem and more.

“The offenders who have graduated tell us that of all the classes they are offered at the facility, this is the only one that allows them to speak freely of their childhoods, past, and circumstances that led them to where they are now, and that they appreciate a space to feel safe enough to emotionally process some of those memories,” says Brian Inks, LCSW, mental health coordinator at Cimarron.

Inmates at Florence Correctional Center have the opportunity to take a course that incorporates two different video series: “Parenting with Dignity” by teachers and motivational speakers Mac and Barbara Bledsoe and “Keys to Loving Relationships” by family counselor and author Gary Smalley. Twenty-four students are now in the class, and 156 have completed it.

“Parenting with Dignity” encompasses 20 hours of classroom and individual activities. Inmates use a workbook concurrently with 10 video sessions.

“The central idea is that your children will make all of the big decisions in their lives so, our only hope is to teach them to make good decisions,” says Raymond Geiswite, life skills teacher at Florence.

In the “Keys to Loving Relationships” videos, Smalley presents his 19 key principles in 18 sessions. The videos educate inmates about discovering personality strengths, overcoming conflicts and divorce-proofing marriages.

“Each tape gives practical insights and a greater understanding of the need for close, intimate family relationships,” Geiswite explains.

Both Kit Carson Correctional Center and Crowley County Correctional Center offer a program called Father Read. (To see a separate story on Father Read, click here). Participating inmates are video recorded while reading a children’s book of their choice. The DVD is then mailed to their children along with a copy of the book so the children can follow along. For the recording, inmates can choose from various backdrops that were painted by other inmates.

The program has not only generated lots of interest among inmates; it has also strengthened family ties. For some inmates’ children, watching their father read to them on DVD has become a nightly ritual.

“Father Read not only encourages inmates to build strong family relationships; it also aims to reduce recidivism,” says Marty Fleischacker, principal and public information officer at Crowley. “Our program recognizes the importance of the family support unit to an inmate’s mental, physical and spiritual well being.”

Kit Carson and Crowley also provide a program known as Nurturing Fathers – a 13-week course that enhances inmates’ parenting and nurturing skills. Each two and a half hour class covers a different topic, including proven strategies for conflict resolution and problem solving. Currently, 19 inmates are enrolled in the course and 45 have completed it.

“The offenders who have completed the class have made dramatic changes,” Fleischacker says. ”Their outlook and personal relationships with their children and other offenders have changed remarkably. They encourage other inmates to get involved and be a part of the important class structure and family bonding process.”

Saguaro Correctional Facility’s Fathers Bridging the Miles (FBTM) program (For more on FBTM, click here) is an initiative of Read to Me International, a Hawaii-based nonprofit organization.

FBTM is offered to offenders with children between ages two and 10. Dads record themselves reading a book to their children on CDs, which are sent to the children so they can read along. The program incorporates individual and group mentoring as well as parenting classes facilitated by Read to Me International staff members at the facility.

How will you celebrate Fathers’ Day this year? What’s your all-time favorite Fathers’ Day gift – given or received? Tell us about it by sounding out.

By DeAndra Mack