Incarcerated parent pilot program advanced

Senators gave first-round approval April 22 to a bill that would fund a pilot program for the state Department of Correctional Services to improve parenting skills of incarcerated parents.

LB483, as introduced by Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz, would have imposed a $1 court fee on all misdemeanor and felony convictions to be used to implement parenting programs in correctional facilities.

Bolz said children with incarcerated parents are in need of positive development opportunities.

“Research shows that children who have parents involved in their lives perform better academically and socially in school, experience fewer mental health and substance abuse issues and are less likely to commit serious crimes,” she said.

A Judiciary Committee amendment, adopted 35-1, replaced the bill and appropriated $250,000 from the Correctional Industries Revolving Fund to the department to implement a two-year pilot program that would provide incarcerated parents of children up to five years old evidence-based parent education, early literacy, relationship skills development and re-entry planning prior to their release.

The amendment also would allow the department to award competitive bid contracts to operate the pilot program and require them to gather program participation and recidivism data.

Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop said the pilot project would be used to gauge the program’s effectiveness before requiring the department to implement it permanently.

“I cannot think of another program that holds as much promise as this one,” he said. “It gives inmates motivation, provides them with family connections when they are released and allows them to be parents to their children in a meaningful way.”

Bolz offered a technical amendment, adopted 25-1, that appropriated the funds from the state’s General Fund rather than the Correctional Industries Revolving Fund.

The bill advanced to select file on a 38-1 vote.