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| N.J. Program Teaches Inmates How to Be Better Parents |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 07/31/2002 |
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Some inmates feel it's impossible to be a good parent while living behind bars. But officials at the New Jersey Department of Corrections say that sentiment is changing because of a program that teaches inmates how to be better fathers. The program, a 10-week class called ''Survival for Fathers Behind Bars,'' uses role-playing, group discussions and videos to teach parenting skills. Corrections officials report growing interest in the classes. ''Our waiting list has 75 inmates on it,'' said social worker Vicki Hagan, who is teaching the class at Southern State Correctional Facility. Interested inmates are warned before taking the class that they must forget old excuses for crimes they committed, Hagan said. Only then can they commit to a new future, she said. One of participants was 36-year-old Rafael Valentin. He said he was taking the class because he wants to be a good dad to his 15-year-old son Javier. Valentin has only spent a couple of years with Javier, between two separate stints in prison for drug and burglary. Javier said he doesn't visit his father often, but that doesn't change how he feels about him. ''He's in prison because he made a mistake,'' Javier said. ''(But) he's my father and I love him.'' Corrections officials try to make inmates feel they've accomplished something after classes finish. A dozen inmates from the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility recently received certificates of recognition at a graduation ceremony. The inmates also were given a chance to say how the program helped them. ''This class taught us about responsibility, about really understanding our children,'' said Leondree Swinton, an inmate and father of three. |
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