The Special Need of Children, Families and the Community:

On the national level, there are 7.3 million children who have a parent in prison or under state or federal supervision, but this is not just a national problem. (Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, 2003) California has the highest prison population in the United States. On any given day there are over 200,000 children in California who have one or both parents in prison. As for the geographic scope of the OreMi Mentoring Program, it is estimated that approximately 5,280 of these children reside in Alameda County, California.

When a parent goes to prison or jail their children suffer. The loss of a parent to incarceration can precipitate trauma, and disruption that few experience without serious consequences. Without meaningful intervention, these children are seven times more likely to be at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system themselves. Therefore, finding mentors is not only helpful, it is essential.

For more information regarding the impact of parental incarceration, please visit www.fcnetwork.org.

Mentoring Works:

Children who receive mentoring services...

• are 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
• are 27% less likely to begin using alcohol
• are 36% more trusting of their parent or guardian
• are 52% less likely to skip school earn higher grades and are more confident in their schoolwork
• are 86% more likely to go to college
• have 4 times fewer teen pregnancies
• have 4 times fewer arrests
• develop greater self-esteem and self-reliance