NCJ Number
143782
Date Published
1992
Length
177 pages
Annotation
Researchers conducted a survey in 1989 to determine the program needs of women incarcerated in State and Federal institutions; the results revealed that State departments of corrections had no information on key variables for establishing such programs. While 36 departments offered parenting/child programs, they were often taught by volunteers, with no set curriculum.
Abstract
However, a national program called Mothers/Men Inside Loving Kids (MILK) was developed as an outgrowth of a Virginia program, which, linked to Parents Anonymous, offered a holistic program of parenting courses, inmate support groups, separate visitation rights for mothers and children, and comprehensive guardian programs to meet the needs of children whose parents were incarcerated. This manual, targeted at community-based organizations and correctional staff, reviews the organization's early history, and discusses components of the American correctional system including jails, departments of corrections, parole boards, and other actors. The six main features of the MILK program include independence, nature of the MILK process, inmates' needs, use of volunteers, resources, and accountability. The manual describes approaches correctional officials and community organizations should take in working with each other, steps to start a MILK program, the parent/child visit, and support groups.