Prison Parenting Initiative for Young Adults (PPIYA)

This program will promote and expand services in detention and correctional facilities to incarcerated individuals and their minor children younger than age 18, and provide services to children of incarcerated parents by facilitating access to services that support their needs. This program will provide states and localities with funding to implement positive family engagement strategies and activities that address the needs of incarcerated parents and their minor children.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Correction’s Prison Parenting Initiative for Young Adults will use funding to increase the chances of a positive impact on the lives of young parents in prison, their children, and families by focusing on the unique developmental needs of inmates who are 18 to 24 years old and who are parents. The vision for this initiative is to start with a pilot unit for young males, with a plan to expand to females. This project will create a special housing unit designed to foster a community supporting the needs and challenges of young men still maturing, many of whom have histories involving childhood trauma, violence, and adverse effects on their social, cognitive, academic, and emotional well-being. CA/NCF