Turning Our Attention to Families

A Natural Resource for Improving

Reentry Outcomes

Association of Paroling Authorities International

April 20, 2009

1. Discussed ways parole boards can

draw on family and social support

2. Explored how parole agents can

apply a family-focused approach

3. Identified at least one way your

organization can enhance its work

with families

By the end of the session, you will have:

APAI Resolution

Family-Based Reentry Plans� More emphasis should be placed on family-based reentry plans upon an offender’s return to society, because studies have shown that a strong family support system will lessen some offenders’ chances of re-offending

� APAI supports reentry planning that provides for family-based intervention programs shown to improve the quality of life for offenders upon their release from prison, thereby reducing recidivism (Adopted April 30, 2008)

Engage Informal Social Controls to

Facilitate Reentry

� Parole officers must be encouraged to incorporate an individual's support network into the supervision process.

� Parole officers must be trained to recognize where [the support network] exists and how to engage [its members].

(Putting Public Safety First, 2008)

Family-focused

Shifting to a family-focused lens

�Reinforce connections within

social network

�Reminder that families have

expertise in supporting each

other

Family-Focused

Approach

�Focus on incarcerated

person or person under

community supervision

Individual

Approach

Defining “family” broadly

� Allow individuals to define their families.

–Traditional family members

–Extended family members

–Elected family members

Families can improve reentry

outcomes� Family contact during incarceration can result in improved behavior in prison and better parole outcomes. (Holt, 1972)

� A family-systems approach to behavior modification treatment for youth can have a significant positive impact on family functioning—not only reducing recidivism rates for justice-involved youth, but also reducing rates of justice involvement for siblings. (Klein et. al, 1977)

Challenges of maintaining

connections during incarceration

� 54% of mothers and 57% of fathers in

state prison were never visited by their

children. (Mumola, BJS 2000)

� Distance to prisons

� Shame of being seen in prison

� Stressed relationships due to crime

� Not wanting to subject family members

to searches

A Portrait of Family Justice:

Partnerships & Tools that Work

� What resonates with you?

� What aspects would you

like to see in your

jurisdiction?

http://www.familyjustice.org/index.php?option=com

_content&view=article&id=301&Itemid=299

Applying a family-focused approach

Bodega Model® Tool:

The Ecomap

Balancing strengths

and challenges

� How have you seen family or

community ties motivate people?

� When has social support increased your

confidence that someone would do well

on parole?

Strength-based

Strength-based approach

� Recognizing that all people are

motivated.

� Operating with the belief that everyone

possesses talent, abilities, capacities, and

past successes.

� Drawing on strengths to motivate

behavior change.

Focus on strengths

� What we cannot do

� What we do not have

� Where we fail

� Problems

� What we can do

� What we have

� Where we succeed

� Possibilities

Traditional Focus Strength Focus

Collaboration among systems to

integrate a family-focused approach

Parole Board

Community

Corrections

Corrections

You may already recognize

the role of family

� Do your intake, assessment, and case-management tools:

– Capture information on the strengths of family and other natural connections?

– Define family broadly?

– Obtain information on ways families are connected to community resources?

– Capture information on positive social networks and existing family connections?

You may already recognize

the role of family� When family members attend parole board hearings,

how are they engaged?

� Do materials incorporate a family perspective?

� What information would you find helpful about social

support? Could DOC provide it?

� Do parole policies facilitate family reunification?

� Does staff development address the role of families?

Supporting family connections

during and after incarceration� Assessment

– Family Justice’s Relational Inquiry Tool

� Visitation policies

– North Carolina’s Family and Friends Handbook

– Michigan’s Family Reunification Sessions

– Ohio’s Children of Incarcerated Parents

Program

� Keeping prisoners close to home

Supporting family connections

during and after incarceration� Email, letter-writing and phone calls

– California increasing calls for youth to families

– New York reducing collect call rates

� Staff development

– Train on tools for bringing family into case

management or parole supervision while respecting

staff/prisoner boundaries

– Oklahoma, Iowa, American Probation & Parole Assoc.

� Continuity of information from prison to

community

mdizerega@familyjustice.org

Margaret diZerega

Director of Training & Technical Assistance

(212) 475-1500

www.familyjustice.org