FCC Programs at the NH State Prison in Concord and Berlin:
• FCC Parenting Classes – This is an eighteen-hour parenting class based upon the Family Focus curriculum from UNH Cooperative Extension. This class must be successfully completed before participation in all other FCC activities.
• Parenting Support Groups – These groups offer incarcerated fathers an opportunity to share and learn from each other and support each other as fathers who are separated from their families. These are offered five times a week. Participants must attend one support group per week to continue participation at the FCC.
• Couple Communication Class – A communication class for all fathers. Communication
• Books-on-Videotape – Incarcerated fathers attend a Literacy Seminar and then can opt to record 2-3 new Scholastic books on videotape. The tape and the new books are sent home to their children. This program is facilitated through collaboration with NH Public Television.
• Books-on-Audiotape – Incarcerated fathers can record stories and songs on audiotapes up to three times per year per child to be sent home with 2 brand new books and a new book bag. This way, the incarcerated father can read stories to his children every night before bed. The hope is that this will help encourage literacy as the child follows along with the book as dad is reading to him or her. This also gives the child the power to hear dad’s voice when they are missing him.
• Program Visits – FCC participants can apply for visitation in FCC to be alone with their child(ren) while monitored through one-way mirrors by FCC Staff. These visits allow the incarcerated father to spend one on one time interacting with their child. Some fathers are taught to change diapers at FCC. At most, visits are scheduled every other week for an hour and a half and every week for children under the age of eight-months.
• Video/Virtual Visitation – Incarcerated fathers can apply to have visits with their children via a web cam over the internet. Family support staff can help facilitate the visit for child(ren), either at one of 12 Child and Family Services locations or at the child’s house. These visits, although they do not have the important physical touch, they can provide an intimate connection between parent and child. Visits have taken place between an incarcerated father and his children in Europe. The children were able to visit semi-privately with Dad and share parts of their lives with him; from showing him their new pet to the airplane he made.
• Family Reentry Planning – Family counseling between the incarcerated father and their child’s caregiver and/or the father’s partner. Children may be included depending upon what the counselor and the child’s parent determines. The goal is to plan for the incarcerated parents return to the community and what his role will be with the family. (FCC-LRF only)
• Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) – Depending upon individual circumstances and facilities, this eight hour communication class is offered to committed couples together, separately or together.
• Seminars – Various life skills seminars are offered on an on-going basis. Volunteer presenters are from UNH Cooperative Extension, Plymouth State College, Child Support Services and NH Public Television to name a few. Some of the seminars have included: When Your Income Drops, When Parenting Styles Differ, Ages and Stages of Child Development, Moral Development, Conflict Resolution and a Literacy Seminar, Money Management, Nutrition.
• Library – We have an extensive family library filled with books on many topics. These books are used during the program visits and to record on the books on audiotape.
• Monthly Newsletter – This newsletter is available to all the incarcerated fathers and via email to their children’s caregiver. The newsletter highlights upcoming FCC events, offers parenting support and advice and lets families know what is happening in NH communities.
