From: Maggie Crandall
Sent: Thu, July 7, 2011 9:21:08 AM
Subject: Re: Volunteers needed for program to bless children
Hello fellow chatlisters –
We Chathamites have community members in the state’s prisons — and the majority of women prisoners are @ the NC Women’s Correctional Institution in Wake county.
There is a need for volunteers to assist with a program for mothers and children there. The importance of this program is to do something to prevent the dreadful statistic that 75% of children of inmates go to prison themselves. It has been demonstrated that a healthy, healing relationship between parent & child can offset the hurt and anger that children feel in being separated from their parent.
We must remember that children have not committed crimes. We must ask ourselves what it does to a child to never be allowed to touch their parent.
Please see the notice about the women’s prison MATCH program –
Match stands for Mothers and their Children.
I wanted to let you know about a need at NCCIW. The MATCH program is in desperate need of more volunteers. MATCH stands for Mothers and their Children. This is a program where the mothers get to spend a 3-hour period (per month) with their children in an room at the prison that looks like a small apartment. The mothers get to hug, play with, read to, and cook for their children. This time is so much different than a regular visit at the prison where the mothers are not allowed to touch their children – and so important for the mothers, but critical for the children. The mothers have to go through several months of training on everything related to parenting and stay infraction free to participate in the program. Right now, there are about 70 residents who are eligible to have their children visit them in the MATCH Center. The problem is that there are not enough volunteers for this to happen. Because of the lack of volunteers, all MATCH visits for the month of August have been suspended. This is devastating for the mothers and the children. Being a MATCH volunteer is SO easy. There are no correctional officers in the MATCH Center – so 2 volunteers must sit and observe the 3-hour visit. MATCH volunteers are asked to supervise, if at all possible, at least 1 visit per month. The
majority of the visits are on weekends. Men are allowed to supervise visits as well as women volunteers.
If you are interested in volunteering or know someone else who would like to help, please contact Stephanie Harris Dixon (MATCH Volunteer Coordinator) at
– I know there is training scheduled in August for new volunteers.
Thank you neighbors,
Maggie Crandall