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[1] So in original. Probably should be “parent”.
§ 629i. Grants for programs for mentoring children of prisoners
(a)
Findings and purpose
(1)
Findings
(A)
In the period between 1991 and 1999, the number of children with a parent incarcerated in a Federal or State correctional facility increased by more than 100 percent, from approximately 900,000 to approximately 2,000,000. In 1999, 2.1 percent of all children in the United States had a parent in Federal or State prison.
(B)
Prior to incarceration, 64 percent of female prisoners and 44 percent of male prisoners in State facilities lived with their children.
(C)
Nearly 90 percent of the children of incarcerated fathers live with their mothers, and 79 percent of the children of incarcerated mothers live with a grandparent or other relative.
(D)
Parental arrest and confinement lead to stress, trauma, stigmatization, and separation problems for children. These problems are coupled with existing problems that include poverty, violence, parental substance abuse, high-crime environments, intrafamilial abuse, child abuse and neglect, multiple care givers, and/or prior separations. As a result, these children often exhibit a broad variety of behavioral, emotional, health, and educational problems that are often compounded by the pain of separation.
(E)
Empirical research demonstrates that mentoring is a potent force for improving children’s behavior across all risk behaviors affecting health. Quality, one-on-one relationships that provide young people with caring role models for future success have profound, life-changing potential. Done right, mentoring markedly advances youths’ life prospects. A widely cited 1995 study by Public/Private Ventures measured the impact of one Big Brothers Big Sisters program and found significant effects in the lives of youth—cutting first-time drug use by almost half and first-time alcohol use by about a third, reducing school absenteeism by half, cutting assaultive behavior by a third, improving parental and peer relationships, giving youth greater confidence in their school work, and improving academic performance.
(2)
Purpose
The purpose of this section is to authorize the Secretary to make competitive grants to applicants in areas with substantial numbers of children of incarcerated parents, to support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using a network of public and private community entities to provide mentoring services for children of prisoners.
(b)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
Children of prisoners
The term “children of prisoners” means children one or both of whose parents are incarcerated in a Federal, State, or local correctional facility. The term is deemed to include children who are in an ongoing mentoring relationship in a program under this section at the time of their parents’ release from prison, for purposes of continued participation in the program.
(2)
Mentoring
The term “mentoring” means a structured, managed program in which children are appropriately matched with screened and trained adult volunteers for one-on-one relationships, involving meetings and activities on a regular basis, intended to meet, in part, the child’s need for involvement with a caring and supportive adult who provides a positive role model.
(3)
Mentoring services
The term “mentoring services” means those services and activities that support a structured, managed program of mentoring, including the management by trained personnel of outreach to, and screening of, eligible children; outreach to, education and training of, and liaison with sponsoring local organizations; screening and training of adult volunteers; matching of children with suitable adult volunteer mentors; support and oversight of the mentoring relationship; and establishment of goals and evaluation of outcomes for mentored children.
(c)
Program authorized
From the amounts appropriated under subsection (h) of this section for a fiscal year that remain after applying subsection (h)(2) of this section, the Secretary shall make grants under this section for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006 to State or local governments, tribal governments or tribal consortia, faith-based organizations, and community-based organizations in areas that have significant numbers of children of prisoners and that submit applications meeting the requirements of this section, in amounts that do not exceed $5,000,000 per grant.
(d)
Application requirements
In order to be eligible for a grant under this section, the chief executive officer of the applicant must submit to the Secretary an application containing the following:
(1)
Program design
A description of the proposed program, including—
(A)
a list of local public and private organizations and entities that will participate in the mentoring network;
(B)
the name, description, and qualifications of the entity that will coordinate and oversee the activities of the mentoring network;
(C)
the number of mentor-child matches proposed to be established and maintained annually under the program;
(D)
such information as the Secretary may require concerning the methods to be used to recruit, screen support, and oversee individuals participating as mentors, (which methods shall include criminal background checks on the individuals), and to evaluate outcomes for participating children, including information necessary to demonstrate compliance with requirements established by the Secretary for the program; and
(2)
Community consultation; coordination with other programs
A demonstration that, in developing and implementing the program, the applicant will, to the extent feasible and appropriate—
(A)
consult with public and private community entities, including religious organizations, and including, as appropriate, Indian tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations, and with family members of potential clients;
(3)
Equal access for local service providers
An assurance that public and private entities and community organizations, including religious organizations and Indian organizations, will be eligible to participate on an equal basis.
(4)
Records, reports, and audits
An agreement that the applicant will maintain such records, make such reports, and cooperate with such reviews or audits as the Secretary may find necessary for purposes of oversight of project activities and expenditures.
(5)
Evaluation
An agreement that the applicant will cooperate fully with the Secretary’s ongoing and final evaluation of the program under the plan, by means including providing the Secretary access to the program and program-related records and documents, staff, and grantees receiving funding under the plan.
(e)
Federal share
(f)
Considerations in awarding grants
In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall take into consideration—
(1)
the qualifications and capacity of applicants and networks of organizations to effectively carry out a mentoring program under this section;
(2)
the comparative severity of need for mentoring services in local areas, taking into consideration data on the numbers of children (and in particular of low-income children) with an incarcerated parents [1] (or parents) in the areas;
(g)
Evaluation
The Secretary shall conduct an evaluation of the programs conducted pursuant to this section, and submit to the Congress not later than April 15, 2005, a report on the findings of the evaluation.
(h)
Authorization of appropriations; reservation of certain amounts
[1] So in original. Probably should be “parent”.
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Notes
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Parallel authorities (CFR)
PDF (4 pages)
Title 42 RSS
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