NCJ Number
184607
Journal
National Institute of Justice Journal Issue: 227 Dated: November 1993 Pages: 10-12
Date Published
November 1993
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A joint effort of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women, and the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland has established the country’s first Girl Scout troop for daughters of incarcerated women.
Abstract
The program has been operating for 2 years. It aims to strengthen family ties and came into existence due to the awareness that more than 80 percent of the 785 women incarcerated at the institution were mothers. The pilot project involved 30 female inmates and their daughters, who range in age from 5 to 17. They gather every 2 weeks for Girl Scout meeting in the prison libraries. Girl Scout volunteers coordinate transportation, escort children to the meetings, and make home visits to those without telephones. The children could see their mothers only during regular visiting hours before the troop was created. Bringing mothers and daughters together regularly has helped reduce the trauma of separation. Another central aspect of the program is the focus on parenting. The child-parent contacts also appear to be opening avenues of communication. The enthusiastic response from the participants has led corrections administrators in other States to express interest in devising similar programs. NIJ is also preparing a manual and planning workshops for corrections and Girl Scout Council administrators, as well as foundation executives interested in providing seed funding to these projects. Photographs and reference note