Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Reentry Family Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State-funded Second Chance Families program connects incarcerated parents and children through recidivism-prevention services
Summary
Oklahoma Department of Corrections officials and subgrantee partners reported early outcomes from a federal Second Chance Families grant that funds in-prison parenting classes, filmed parent–child reading visits, and community supports for caregivers and children.
Department of Corrections chief administrator Clint Castleberry updated the commission on the Second Chance Families project, an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention subgrant funded through the Second Chance Act (FY22). The project targets two DOC facilities—Connors Correctional Center (Hominy) and Mabel Bassett Correctional Center—and funds partners delivering parenting and family-support services inside facilities and in the community.
Castleberry said the grant’s goals include improving family engagement, learning more about children of incarcerated parents statewide, and reducing generational incarceration and recidivism. The University of Oklahoma Zarrow School of Social Work is conducting evaluation under Dr. David McCloud.
Subawardees reported results and participation figures. Shannon Looper, program director for Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, said the program has enrolled parents in a 100-hour nurturing-parenting curriculum: 73 participants at Connors (49% graduation) and 95 women at Mabel Bassett (60% graduation) since the grant’s start. Girl Scouts Beyond Bars runs troop activities and coordinates monthly in-person visits when caregivers approve them; recruitment logs list dozens of interested children and families who await caregiver approval or safe-access arrangements.
Denise Daniels of the Oklahoma Messages Project described a program that films incarcerated parents reading books and sending videos and books to children; she reported 201 parent recordings and 429 children served through the grant to date. Amanda Maxwell of New Hope Oklahoma described wraparound family supports—after-school programming, summer camps, family activities and individualized care navigation—designed to stabilize caregivers and improve outcomes for children. New Hope said it uses intake and mapping from partner referrals to expand statewide access where demand exists.
Commissioners praised the collaborative model and asked about expansion, transportation barriers and measurement. Staff and presenters said the evaluation component will provide data on reach and outcomes and that recruitment often depends on caregivers serving as gatekeepers for safe contact. No formal action was taken; presenters asked the commission to note the work and share opportunities to support families in local communities.
