The Reading for Moms and Dads Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The Reading for Moms and Dads has been a model program at the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility for approximately fifteen years. September 2013, the program became inactive, because the volunteers with Daughters of Destiny terminated their volunteer services due to medical reasons. July 2014, the Volunteer Service Coordinator started up The Reading for Moms and Dads Program. It is a program that originated from the Daughters of Destiny Prison Outreach for Women. The program initially consisted of allowing mothers to read children books to their children while incarcerated. The program was such a success, that Programs Department decided to include the male population to participate in the program. This was accomplished by recording the parents while reading the children book to their child. This is a form of rehabilitation for the parent as they read the book thinking of their child. This program heals the child/parent bond as the child hears the parent’s voice and looks at the book sent from the parent as a keepsake. After the recording the parent is allowed to send a message of endearment, such as, “I love you.”