Using Distance-Based Child-Parent Engagement Strategies in Correctional Facilities

Hosted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

More than half of people incarcerated in American prisons and jails are parents of minor children. Ensuring that jail and prison policies support the preservation of family bonds is critical to successful reentry and strengthening the relationships between incarcerated parents and their children and families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has played a key role in keeping families together while a parent is incarcerated. In this webinar, Second Chance Act grantees the Oregon Department of Corrections and their partner The Pathfinder Network as well as Allegheny County Jail and their partner Allegheny Department of Human Services share strategies for visits, programming, and supports to encourage developmentally appropriate child-parent engagement during a national pandemic.

In this webinar, presenters

• Provide strategies that strengthen relationships between incarcerated parents and their children and caregivers while maintaining safe facilities;
• Discuss services that meet the needs of children who have incarcerated parents;
• Share approaches to reentry and transitional services for incarcerated parents that focus on parental responsibility; and
• Provide strategies to identify children who have incarcerated parents.

Speakers:

• Valerie Carpico, Senior Policy Analyst, Corrections and Reentry Division, the CSG Justice Center
• Lisa Hall, Correctional Case Management Administrator, Oregon Department of Corrections
• Sheri Sandoval, Director of Corrections Programs, The Pathfinder Network
• Milo Dittrich, Corrections Programs Manager, The Pathfinder Network
• Amy Kroll, Administrator of Re-entry Services, Allegheny County Jail
• Brandi Harrison, Project Manager, Forensic Services, Allegheny County Department of Human Services