Florida Department of Corrections Banner, Secretary Mark S. Inch


PRESS RELEASE

June 28, 2022
 

FDC Recognizes Fatherhood Awareness Month

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is honored to recognize June as Fatherhood Awareness Month in Florida.

FDC recently participated in a roundtable discussion with other state leaders centered on the importance of fatherhood. The group announced a new mentoring initiative aimed at helping Florida’s fathers. To support this initiative, Secretary Ricky Dixon recently sent a message to the inmate population encouraging incarcerated fathers to be an active role model in the lives of their children and provided a list of programs FDC offers to help them be successful parents.

“I know it is difficult to be a parent from where you are, but you can still make a positive impact in the lives of your children. The example you set from this point forward and your participation in their lives, is critical to their success,” said Secretary Ricky Dixon.

Programs available to incarcerated fathers:

  • Children of Inmates: This service is offered to select facilities throughout the state. The organization works to connect children with parents during their incarceration through providing transportation and meaningful visits between the child and parent.
  • Compass 100: The mandated 100-hour transition skills curriculum includes a unit on families.


  • Family Integrity Training (FIT): This program teaches practical parenting, anger dynamics dating and marriage, change of heart, coping with losses in life, financial success, free to grow and insight.

  • Inside Out Dads: Inside Out Dads connects inmate fathers to their families, helping to improve behavior while still incarcerated and to break the cycle of recidivism by developing pro-fathering attitudes, knowledge, and skills, along with strategies to prepare fathers for release.

  • Malachi Dads: Malachi Dads is tackling this epidemic by challenging and teaching incarcerated men how to be godly fathers, equipping them to spiritually train their children regardless of their circumstances, and intentionally build a legacy of faith in Christ. It is volunteer led and sometimes connects with the Faith and Character Program.

  • Storybook Dads/Moms: Inmates enter a recording studio inside the prison at a scheduled time, choose from one of the many donated children's books, then sit down in front of a microphone and read with enthusiasm. Incarcerated dads (or moms) send the audio recording and a copy of the book to their child as a birthday present or Christmas gift.

  • Parenting from the Inside: A 12-week course that provides information and skill training for parenting, promotes and reinforces child welfare, positive family relationships, and mutual support among inmates, spouses/co-parents and their children.

  • Volunteer Programming: Several volunteer organizations assist with the family reunification process by sponsoring events within the institutions that connect the child and parent.

  • 24/7 Dad: Is a voluntary, comprehensive fatherhood program designed to help men improve their parenting skills and fathering knowledge. The program focuses on building self-awareness, self-caring, parenting, fathering, and relationship skills through 12 weekly, two-hour group or individual sessions.

  • Caring for the Emotionally Damaged Heart Series: The teaching sessions cover both spiritual and emotional damage issues one may encounter in counseling and explains how to resolve these issues. This series is also designed to help believers understand, identify and resolve emotional pain caused by emotional issues and pressure patterns.

  • ###


    As Florida's largest state agency, and the third largest state prison system in the country, FDC employs 24,000 members, incarcerates 80,000 inmates and supervises nearly 146,000 offenders in the community.

    Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
    Inspiring success by transforming one life at a time.
    Visit our website at http://www.dc.state.fl.us.