NCJ Number
191138
Journal
Criminal Law Update Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: 2001 Pages: 13-15
Editor(s)
Dru Smith Fuller
Date Published
2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes a program to help selected offenders develop and maintain bonds with their minor children.
Abstract
A weekly Saturday night program called Papas And Their Children (PATCH) enables fathers in two Texas State jails to spend an hour playing, doing homework, or simply just talking with their children. Offenders selected for the program must be the legal fathers of minor children, currently enrolled in the local school district's parenting program, with no disciplinary violations while in jail. Offenders are automatically disqualified if their criminal history includes child abuse, family violence, or other violent crimes. The Office of the Attorney General works with programs such as PATCH to reach parents who are ready for parole to help them prepare for supporting their children. Nearly all of the fathers in jail say that, upon release, they will need help finding employment to support their children. More than 40 percent want help to provide housing for their children, nearly 90 percent are interested in obtaining legal counsel (not necessarily just for child support), and almost 70 percent of men surveyed want to establish their fatherhood through genetic tests.