Children of Incarcerated Parents
Children of Incarcerated Parents
Children of Incarcerated Parents
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Table 2:<br />
Mentor Demographics<br />
Number<br />
Percentage<br />
Total Number <strong>of</strong> Mentors 482 —<br />
Mentor Gender:<br />
Male 200 42%<br />
Female 277 58%<br />
Missing gender 5 —<br />
Mentor Age:<br />
17 to 21 years old 24 5%<br />
22 to 30 years old 83 18%<br />
31 to 40 years old 97 22%<br />
41 to 50 years old 124 28%<br />
51 to 60 years old 74 16%<br />
More than 60 years old 47 10%<br />
Missing age 33 —<br />
Mentor Race:<br />
African American 379 82%<br />
Latino/a 38 8%<br />
Caucasian 34 7%<br />
Other 11 2%<br />
Missing race 20 —<br />
Source: Amachi Year Longitudinal Report, April 1, 2001-March 31, 2003.<br />
THE CHALLENGE OF<br />
GETTING THE MATCHES STARTED<br />
The speed with which large numbers <strong>of</strong> volunteers and children were recruited<br />
created its own obstacle to getting the actual project activities—mentoring—up<br />
and running. Despite some concern on the part <strong>of</strong> Amachi planners that volunteers<br />
might feel resistant about going through the screening process, most <strong>of</strong> them<br />
quickly completed the required paperwork. 17 Next, BBBS had to conduct the<br />
criminal history background checks and child abuse clearances; contact references<br />
listed on the application forms; interview volunteers, children, and the children’s<br />
caregivers; make the matches; and provide training to the new mentors.<br />
But, as one Amachi planner explained,“The program took <strong>of</strong>f faster than<br />
we had ever anticipated.”The local BBBS agency, Big Brothers Big Sisters<br />
Southeastern Pennsylvania, was responsible for the screening, matching, and<br />
training process, as well as for monitoring and supporting the matches once<br />
they began. Before Amachi, it had been overseeing fewer than 800 mentoring<br />
24<br />
AMACHI