Partners
Friends and Family Services
DOC knows that social connections maintained during incarceration provide a valuable re-entry resource and that families can be an important source of housing, emotional support, financial resource and overall stability. The information on this site is part of that effort designed to reach out to friends and family.
Offender respondents cite family as the most important factor in helping them stay out of prison. Multiple national studies confirmed that offenders with family support before prison and throughout incarceration were less likely to re-offend and display a lower rate of re-offense than those without.
Mentoring Programs for Children Of Offenders
Mentoring programs support and enhance parental bonds, and children who have mentors:
- Improve their school attendance and performance and are 52% less likely to skip
- Increase their ability to resist drugs and alcohol and are 46% less likely to start using
- Decrease their use of violence and are 30% less likely to hit someone
- Increase their trust of parents/guardians and 37% become more trusting
- Over 97% avoid contact with juvenile authorities
Here are links to organizations providing children mentoring programs:
Family Help Line 1-800-932-HOPE (4673)
The Family Help Line is a statewide, toll-free “warm” telephone line, and is a program of Parent Trust for Washington Children. The Family Help Line offers callers information and referral; parenting education and techniques; supportive listening and assistance with stress reduction and self-advocacy.
Volunteering
Volunteer opportunities are also available for friends and family members at institutions other then where their offender is located.
More detailed information can be found in DOC Guide for Family and Friends of Incarcerated Offenders or for offenders in work release, the Guide for Family, Friends and Employers.
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