NCJ Number
213058
Date Published
July 2005
Length
53 pages
Annotation
This report describes the planning, development, and implementation of the Amachi mentoring program model, specifically for children of prisoners.
Abstract
The Amachi programs consist of three key elements: (1) the support and involvement of faith-based congregations from the youngsters' own or nearby neighborhoods; (2) the promotion of strong personal relationships between youth and their mentors; and (3) professional case management and support of the mentoring matches to ensure that the child, his/her family, and the mentor can all work together. This guide was developed to offer pragmatic, concrete, clear, and usable advice about establishing mentoring children-of-prisoners programs in local communities. It provides descriptions of best practices, along with explanations and illustrations of why these have worked in creating successful Amachi programs in a wide spectrum of communities. Three critical phases are presented and discussed: planning, building, and managing, along with resources and information for local planners. With its roots in Philadelphia, the Amachi program is a national model for mentoring children that has been implemented in 101 cities in 38 States. It recently spread its initiative to include the mentoring of children of prisoners; a group with many needs long unrecognized.