By C1 Staff
COLUMBUS, Ore. — A 5-year-old project aimed toward helping incarcerated mothers create relationships with their children may be ending because correctional leaders have found it to not be cost-effective.
Oregon Live reports that the Family Preservation Project is the most expensive program the Department of Corrections has, tallying up to about $300,000 to help 10 inmates in a single year. The DOC’s total budget for two years is $1.4 billion.
Supporters of the program have signed a petition to keep the program going, and so far it’s gained 2,800 signatures.
The program started in 2010 and has since worked with 31 mothers and 53 children; 27 of those participants have been released to the community. Officials are also concerned that the program spends money on inmate families and not just inmates.
Money that goes toward the program covers supplies and services, two full-time positions and a part-time employee.
The program is currently run at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, where it will be phased out during the spring. It will continue to focus on mothers, but will no longer hold visits with children.
Instead, the prison has suggested adding a family advocate, who would help provide support services to mothers.
Coffee Creek is the only prison for women in the state and currently houses over 1,200 inmates, about 80 percent of whom say they’re moms.
Supporters of the Family Preservation Project say that none of the women who participated in the program have returned to prison.
State Sen. Chip Shields said the program has shown that it can reduce risk factors for children with an imprisoned mother. He encouraged supporters to write letters to their state legislators and to attend the DOC budget meeting, scheduled for March 19 to show support.