SCA Father/Child Visitation Program

This program promotes and expands services in detention and correctional facilities to incarcerated individuals who have children younger than age 18, and provides states and localities with funding to implement positive family engagement strategies and activities that address the needs of incarcerated parents with minor children. This program is authorized under the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-141.

The New Jersey Department of Corrections will use funding to implement comprehensive programming and services aimed at reducing barriers which limit frequency and duration of positive communication between incarcerated fathers and their children. This initiative will create opportunities for increased communication to strengthen the bond between a father and children. Upon completion of the psycho-educational program, participants will be enrolled in the father/child visitation program and receive a minimum of three specialized interactive visits. Additionally, participants will be guided to participate in a secondary method of correspondence with their families as a means of maintaining consistent communication. The target population will include 100 unduplicated adult male offenders housed at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey. The program outcomes will be measured by the psycho-educational program completion rate, increase in number of visits, and reduction in institutional infractions. CA/NCF