ANGER MANAGEMENT

We are transitioning with a new program and will have updated information available soon.

STORYTIME VIDEO FOR CHILDREN

Friends Outside provides a unique way for inmate parents to keep in touch with their children.

The parent reads a story on video tape.

Reading stories from books or singing songs keep the parent's voice familiar to the children. Keeping voices familiar may make visits and reunions less traumatic. ( especially for the younger children). The children will recognize the voice and be less likely to shy away during a visit.

The tapes also provide a link between parent and child, especially if the inmate parent is going away for an extended amount of time .  Friends Outside provides the storybooks and oversees the taping. Inmates are allowed to give a brief introduction to their children before reading the books.

PARENTING/T.A.L.K. (teaching and loving kids) PROGRAM

This is a unique visiting program between inmate parents and their children. It was publicly acknowledged and praised during the former Bush administration by former first lady Barbara Bush. The program originally began in Los Angeles County jail and is now nationwide. The children are the silent victims of the crimes committed by their parents. The separation, guilt, anger and pain of a child may go unnoticed by caretakers as everyone tries to deal with the situation of an incarcerated parent. This special visiting program focuses on reunification efforts between parent and child.

The maintenance of inmate-family ties and parent-child bonds is an important social services objective. Research has demonstrated that frequent visits between separated parents and their children are important to the well being of parents and children and to the eventual reunification of separated families. Parenting programs and children's centers are being established in correctional settings, reflecting the emerging interest in inmate-family ties.

The Parenting/T.A.L.K. program consists of a Parenting class held twice a week and a special T.A.L.K. visit every Saturday which provides the opportunity to use skills learned in the classroom in a real life situation. Program components include classes focusing on child abuse prevention and successful reunification. Some of the topics covered are: Childhood growth and development, Nutrition, Child Health and Safety, Stress, Anger and Parenting, Guidance and discipline and Long distance parenting.

The program is “hands on” and no inmate parent is allowed to sit around. Interaction is the key to this program and the children thrive on it.

THE BREAKING BARRIERS PROGRAM

Breaking Barriers is a video training series designed for use with men and women who are in correctional settings. The series is very effective at creating within its participants an awareness that change is possible and then providing tools to develop cognitive thinking skills so change can take place.

When we start anything new in life, it is always important to be aware of how we approach the new experience. Our habits, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations do play a key role in how our future develops. This is especially true when we begin a jail or prison sentence.

The sessions in this video series lead participants to recognize that controlling how we think is a learnable process. The series is application driven by workshops following each session. The workshops provide hands-on practice in using the concepts on a daily basis. A Framework for Breaking Barriers: A Cognitive Reality Model is designed to be conducted by men and women trained by Gordon Graham & company as on-site facilitators.

Gordon Graham takes complex psychological information and elusive skills and makes them easy to understand. Few speakers can bridge the cultural, economic, and racial barriers that exist in today's organizations. Gordon's background offers a perspective of change that few people have experienced.

Gordon, for twenty-five years, has worked with staff and inmates in State, County and Federal correctional institutions. His background as an ex-offender, combined with his ability to teach change, gives him a unique opportunity to assist others in seeing that change is possible.