Prisoner Reentry InstituteOccasional Series:

Children of the Prison Boom

Interventions to Promote Positive Development

Jean Kjellstrand

Columbia University School of Social Work

jk3446@columbia.edu

Presentation

Key influences that affect development of youth

Existing interventions Next steps for moving forward

BACKGROUNDINFLUENCES

BACKGROUNDINFLUENCES

IMMEDIATEINFLUENCESIMMEDIATE

INFLUENCES

HEALTHY CHILD

OUTCOMES

HEALTHY CHILD

OUTCOMES

Economic Factors

•Neighborhood poverty•Family Poverty Liveable wage jobs•Education & Vocational training

Health Issues•Physical, Mental Health, Family Support, Substance Abuse•Access to affordable and health services and resources.

Physical Environment

•Quality housing/buildings•Neighborhood design•Land use•Absence of toxic influences•Access to nutritious food/activity

Social Environment/Neighborhood

•Prosocial norms•Informal social control•Healthy community norms•Community Integration & connectedness•Social Support

Parenting and Mentoring •Parenting•Family Functioning•Mentors

Education and Care

•Affordable/quality day care•Quality Instruction•Positive environment

Peer Environment

•Pro-social•Healthy opportunities•Reduced exposure to AOD, violence

Physical, Social,

Emotional, Intellectual

Existing Interventions

Good news and bad news Varied and delivered in many settings Tend to focus on 3 main areas

Child adjustmentParenting/Family functioningBroader personal/community context

Child Adjustment - Goals

Intervene to boost children’s resiliency Environment to safely discuss feelings Provide support around difficult

situations/emotions Help develop healthy coping and problem

solving skills

Child Adjustment

Mentoring Support groups Youth advisory programs Day camps Individual therapy Peer leadership Tutoring Job readiness training

Parenting/Family Functioning

Increasingly popular (within correctional setting and in community)

Focus on communication and interpersonal relationships within familiesPromote positive developmentEncourage family support post-releaseDecrease likelihood of recidivism

Parenting/Family Functioning

Parenting classes Visitation/remote contact Prison nurseries Alternatives to incarceration

Personal and Community Context Pre-release/ Post release programming

EmploymentHealth (physical, mental, substance use)RelationshipsHousing

Personal and Community Context Comprehensive community initiatives

Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation ProgramPromise NeighborhoodsNeighborhood Revitalization InitiativeHousing and Urban Development: Choice

Neighborhoods

Next Steps for Moving Forward

1. Evaluate existing programs

2. Disseminate results

3. Adapt existing evidence-based programs

4. Develop new programs (cost/effective, sustainable)

5. Link interventions to create multilevel strategy that can be tailored to address individual and family strengths and needs.

Principles of Effective Preventive Programs (Nation et al., 2003)

Comprehensive Varied teaching methods Sufficient dosage Theory driven Promote positive relationships Appropriately timed Socioculturally relevant Well-trained staff Outcome evaluation

Model and Promising Programs

http://www.blueprintsprograms.com/allPrograms.php

http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/

youthviolence/prevention.html

http://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/stryve/strategy_pdf.html

http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/

http://www.preventviolence.info/evidence_base.aspx