FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Bob Wesley
October 24, 2006 407-836-4806

PUBLIC DEFENDER RECEIVES GRANT TO MENTOR CHILDREN OF PRISIONERS

(ORLANDO) – Employees in the office of Orange/Osceola Public Defender Bob Wesley will be mentoring children of incarcerated parents through a grant from the Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS). The CHS Mentors Opening Doors Enriching Lives (MODEL) program is a one-on-one community-based program for children ages four to 15 who have a parent incarcerated in a state or federal prison. Currently, more than 2,000 children in Central Florida have parents who are prisoners.

“The MODEL Mentoring program provides an excellent opportunity for our lawyers to help break the cycle of crime that may run in families,” stated Orange/Osceola Public Defender Bob Wesley. “Children of incarcerated parents lack the type of role models we want for every child. I’m happy that we will provide the MODEL mentors that can make a difference in the lives of these children.”

The MODEL mentoring program was developed by CHS over two years ago, and assisted more than 644 children last year. Each youngster is matched with a trained mentor with the goal of building trust and communication that will help the child perform better in school, have better family relationships and be more equipped to avoid negative attitudes or peer relationships. Mentors must be able to devote one hour each week for one year to their child through face-to-face interaction or written correspondence.

Children of prisoners are known to have diminished academic performance, classroom behavior difficulties, school absences, and are more likely to follow the path

 Public Defender Receives Grant To Mentor Children of Prisoners of their parent and serve jail time themselves. The MODEL mentoring program attempts to break this cycle. Statistics prove mentoring relationships have lasting and meaningful results and can significantly reduce negative behavior.

Last August, the federal government appropriated $45.6 million in grants to provide mentors to children of prisoners. CHS was the largest of the grantees, receiving $2 million to facilitate mentoring programs in seven of its 14 divisions.

MODEL mentors must be at least 21 years old and complete a background screening, fingerprinting and interview.

Created in 1902, CHS provides children and families with a unique spectrum of social services, including foster care, adoption, child abuse prevention, emergency shelters, group homes, case management, and treatment for developmentally disabled children. A nationally accredited agency, CHS made a difference in the lives of more than 139,000 Florida children and families in 2004-2005.

The Ninth Judicial Circuit Public Defender’s Office was established by the Florida Legislature in 1964 to guarantee the indigent have a right to a fair trial in Orange and Osceola counties. The Ninth Judicial Circuit Public Defenders Office is housed in the Orange and Osceola County courthouses. Each office has juvenile and criminal divisions, while the Orange County office also includes social service, investigation, and special divisions.