Family Unification Program

Keeping Families Together

For years, First Place has been reuniting and keeping families together while they are struggling with homelessness and poverty.  Many of these families have additional barriers such as a parent incarcerated or a parent with a prior conviction. 

The First Place Family Unification Program provides a service-enriched re-entry housing program for female offenders who are mothers to children under 18 years of age and who are high risk due to issues related to substance abuse, mental health, dual diagnosis, physical health/disability, and/or lack of viable employment options.  This program addresses the three main causes of recidivism for the target population:  lack of housing, lack of employment, and inability to reunify with children due to the first two factors. 

Why focus on incarcerated women?

·         Reunification with children can provide an enormous incentive for women to comply with the terms of their probation and subsequently avoid recidivism. 

·         Many women in jail have been victims: one-third are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and a recent survey found that 48% of women reported a history of physical and/or sexual abuse and 27% reported rape (Gillece, 2002).

·         Female prisoners are also more likely than males to be parents to children under 18, to have been living with their children prior to incarceration, and to be single parents, thus leaving no parent to care for the children while the mom is incarcerated (Mumola, 2006). 

·         Studies show that children of offenders are five times more likely than their peers to end up in prison themselves, and one in ten will have been incarcerated before reaching adulthood (Simmons, 2000).

To learn what additional services the mothers and children will receive, please read about our Family Support Services program and Education program.

For more information, please contact Gene Harris, Family Support Services Director, (206) 323-6715.