Join us at FOLA’s Summit on Children of Incarcerated Parents: Trauma, Stress and Protections

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Mary Weaver

Friends Outside in Los Angeles County invites you to attend our Summit to explore the latest developments regarding the impact of toxic stress and trauma on children and families of the incarcerated and interventions and responses that promote their well-being. Expert speakers will include caregivers, youth and family members, scholars, law enforcement officials, and child welfare administrators.

This year’s Keynote Speaker is Ann Adalist Estrin, MS, Director of the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated-Rutgers University-Camden

This event is supported by generous funding from the Honorable Don Knabe.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014
8:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.

Grand Long Beach Event Center
4101 Willow Street
Long Beach, CA

Registration and Continental Breakfast will begin at 8:00 A.M. Welcome at 8:30 A.M.

TO PRE-REGISTER visit: https://childrenincarcerationandtrauma.eventbrite.com

The Summit is FREE. Continental breakfast and light refreshments will also be provided. Registration packets will include Sesame Street toolkits, 2015 calendars, and more. The Event Center offers free parking.

For more details, exhibit costs, and logistics, please contact Carol@jeweldlegacy.com, 347 249-7396

Join us at FOLA’s Summit on Children of Incarcerated Parents: Trauma, Stress and Protections

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Mary Weaver

This year’s Keynote Speaker is Ann Adalist Estrin, MS, Director of the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated-Rutgers University-Camden

This event is supported by generous funding from the Honorable Don Knabe.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014
8:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.

Grand Long Beach Event Center
4101 Willow Street
Long Beach, CA

Registration and Continental Breakfast will begin at 8:00 A.M. Welcome at 8:30 A.M.

TO PRE-REGISTER visit: https://childrenincarcerationandtrauma.eventbrite.com

For more details, exhibit costs, and logistics, please contact Carol@jeweldlegacy.com, 347 249-7396

Celebrating our “PASSPORT TO SUCCESS”

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Mary Weaver

“Passport to Success” is an employment program for the re-entry population, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Only 18 organizations in the United States received these grants. DOL ended this funding on September 30, 2014, with this final, fifth series of grants.

Services Provided:
• Case Management
• Job Readiness
• Job-Seeking Assistance
• Job Placement/Job Development
• Job Retention Services
• Mentoring

A Compelling Need:
➢ Helping people with unique employment barriers not typically addressed by more traditional employment services programs
➢ Approximately 1 in 38 persons in the United States is behind bars of which 95% is released, while approximately 1 in 8 persons in the U.S. has a criminal record. Approximately one-third of California’s released state prisoners return to Los Angeles County.

The Opportunity:
➢ The cost of “Passport to Success” is $2,700/client vs. approximately $50,000 per state prisoner per year and $28,000 per county jail inmate per year.
➢ Recidivism (return to prison/jail) rates in California are approximately 60% with unemployment rates amongst this population often reaching 80% or more. The positive correlation between employment and reduced recidivism means that it is in virtually everyone’s best interest to support this population in their efforts to obtain and retain employment.

CONTRACTED GOALS – OUR RESULTS

• Enroll 404 clients – 446 clients were enrolled
• 243 clients must attain employment – 248 clients got jobs
• 70% of clients keep their jobs – 72% of clients kept their jobs
• < 22% recidivism rate – 10% recidivism rate

Call to Action

If you are an employer and would like some tips on hiring this population, contact us.

Donations will be used to continue these important services.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP OR GET MORE INFORMATON, PLEASE CONTACT US!

Collateral Damage: Children

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Mary Weaver

The Children – Incarceration’s Collateral Damage

Children with incarcerated parents are the overlooked victims of incarceration.

Nationally, the number of these children increased by 80% between 1991 – 2007 (Bureau of Justice Statistics), and now stands at 2.7 million. The number of children living in Los Angeles County who have an incarcerated parent is unknown. We can, however, make an educated guess of their numbers based on what we do know. Approximately 65% of all inmates have children, and have them at roughly the same rate as the general population (i.e., 2.2 children).

With approximately 19,500 inmates in Los Angeles County jails, 35,000 inmates in California state prisons who are from Los Angeles County, 2,781 active federal supervision cases in Los Angeles County, 57,000 adults on probation and 30,000 on parole in Los Angeles County, a lowball estimated number of children in Los Angeles County who have one or more parent who is currently incarcerated would be 317,418 (19,500 + 35,000 + 2,781 + 57,000 + 30,000 + x 2.2 children per inmate). An untold larger group of children has a parent who was incarcerated at some point in their lives but who is not currently incarcerated.

Do these facts concern you?
Friends Outside is doing something about them.
tele: (626) 795-7607
www.friendsoutsidela.org

Being Involved with Friends Outside in Los Angeles County

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Mary Weaver

Gretchen Goette Chiari discusses how she learned about Friends Outside nine years ago. This lead to her volunteer work in the Watts’ office and the Lynwood Jail for Women.