We all remember bedtime stories with our mom or dad, but when a parent is behind bars, the separation makes it challenging to foster that bond.
The Sheriff's Detention Services Bureau and its Reentry Services Division aim to nurture and strengthen family connections during this difficult time through a partnership with Reading Legacies, a nonprofit organization.
To meet the needs of children during this trying time, parents and grandparents in five county jails can choose a free book and record themselves reading it. The book and DVD recording with a special message from the loved one is then mailed to the child who can watch it anytime they miss mommy or daddy.
Since the partnership started in 2001, Reading Legacies has reached nearly 8,000 parents in five county jails and more than 15,000 children with the recorded book program.
To learn more about the nonprofit group Reading Legacies, visit readinglegacies.org/.
*The program is not available at Central Jail and Facility 8 due to the high turnover (release and transfer) of inmates.