NCJ Number
139488
Journal
San Antonio Express-News Magazine Dated: (September 27, 1992) Pages: 6,18-21,23
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The Detention MATCH (Mothers and Their Children) and Community MATCH programs in Bexar County, Texas serve to strengthen the bonds between female inmates and female ex- offenders and their children as well as prepare the women to live responsibly in the community.
Abstract
Inside the Bexar County Jail, Detention MATCH offers classes in health, self-esteem, communication skills, and parenting and assertiveness training. Women involved in the program must attend five classes during the week to earn a Saturday visit from their children. MATCH mothers interact with their children in a room full of donated toys. The visits become an incentive for the women to change their behavior and lifestyles for their children's benefit as well as their own. Community MATCH continues the program for female ex-offenders and their children after release. It provides a daily meeting place for women, along with their children, where they can work on charitable projects, talk about their problems with one another, and receive guidance and referrals tailored to their specific needs. Overall, Community MATCH teaches participants to work within the system by accessing services that can help them continue their education or find jobs and housing.