Several years ago, leaders of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay saw a huge need. Hillsborough County leads Florida in the number of children with incarcerated parents. In addition, the prison population is growing by 5.7 percent a year – meaning more and more children have parents behind bars.

Research shows that children of incarcerated parents are at a higher risk for emotional and behavioral problems, including depression and anxiety, poor academic performance, drug and alcohol abuse and juvenile delinquency. They are six times more likely than other children to be incarcerated at some point during their lives. “Our goal is to have these children living up to their potential and to avoid the pitfalls of their forefathers,” said Teri Simpson, senior vice president of programs at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay.

Big Brothers Big Sisters leaders turned to a program called Amachi, which connects faith, civic activity, and mentoring to help children of prisoners. Amachi is a Nigerian name, meaning “who knows but what God has brought us through this child.” Amachi is the brainchild of W. Wilson Goode, who started the program after he left office as mayor of Philadelphia. As a teenager, he too suffered when his father went to jail for assaulting his mother. Amachi is rooted in the church. Goode, a minister, visited Philadelphia congregations and gained the support of ministers who were among the first to volunteer as mentors.

Stephen Koch, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, was thunderstruck when Goode told a story about a father who met his son for the first time while both were incarcerated. It reminded Koch of the number of children in his community who are living without parents. “That type of story resonates because a child is 60 to 70 percent more likely to be incarcerated if they have a parent who has been to jail,” Koch said. “Kids pick up the behavior patterns of their parents.”

In Tampa Bay, the Mentoring Children of Prisoners program formed partnerships with Abe Brown Ministries, Florida Kinship Center and Prison Fellowship Ministries, which is ex-Watergate figure Chuck Colson’s organization. They have reached out to many of the faith-based partner churches that are rich with mentors.

The Mentoring Children of Prisoners program is highly effective:

• 100 percent of the children have maintained or increased their self-confidence with 93 percent increasing their self-confidence.
• 89 percent of the children have maintained or increased their academic performance with an 85 percent actual increase.
• 100 percent of the children have maintained or increased their ability to form and sustain a relationship with 86 percent actually demonstrating an increased ability.
• 94 percent of the children remain free of involvement with the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Mentors, who come from all walks of life, make a one-year commitment to their matches. Children as young as four and as old as 18 are paired with mentors, though teenage boys are hard to match. Mentoring needs are based on children’s academic and social skills.

Despite the large number of children with incarcerated parents, finding them can be challenging. Due to incarceration’s stigma, those children often are hidden in the shadows of the community. Most children of incarcerated parents live with extended family members, such as grandmothers, aunts, or close friends. When Big Brothers Big Sisters identifies children needing mentors, the kids often disappear, leaving Big Brothers Big Sisters officials to try to track them down through school records. “It is a hard program to administer because the kids are transient,” says Simpson.

Scott West and his Little Brother, Ryan

Mentors are encouraged to build their relationships gradually, such as making their “littles” a part of their lives. Simple activities matter most, even if it is just hanging out on weekends, running errands or raking leaves in the backyard.

Madeline likes the fact that her Big Sister, Destinee Glassman, is patient. Last Halloween, the two attended a festival in which people dressed in wild costumes tried to scare visitors. Madeline’s Big Sister told her not to be scared. “She’s an amazing person and has helped me in my life,” the sixth-grader said. “I’m glad I got to meet her and that she is my Big Sister.”

Destinee detects a difference in Madeline’s personality. At first, Madeline was reserved, the Big Sister says, but now seems to share her feelings more easily. “It takes a lot for a young person to confide in someone who is older,” says Destinee.

Koch says success comes when children believe other people in the community care about them. “In Big Brothers Big Sisters, the focus is on the basic friendship between the adults and the ‘littles',” says Koch. “From that friendship comes a mutual respect for each other, and that’s how we see things turn around.”

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