April 16, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Fatherhood Initiative Releases Prisoner Reentry Program For Hispanic Fathers

“Padre Adentro y Afuera” empowers spanish-speaking inmate fathers to build strong relationships with their children to reduce revidivism and break the intergenerational cycle of crime

(GAITHERSBURG, MD) – National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) has announced the release of Padre Adentro y Afuera™, the first culturally-relevant, Spanish-language curriculum for the nation’s 300,000 Hispanic inmates, the fastest growing group of inmates in the United States. Padre Adentro y Afuera™ is a Spanish-language version of NFI’s InsideOut Dad™, the nation’s premier fathers’ reentry program.

NFI and the New Mexico Department of Corrections have partnered to launch Padre Adentro y Afuera™ in correctional facilities across New Mexico. The program consists of 12 core modules designed to help prisoners prepare for reentry through learning about themselves as men and as fathers and by breaking down the physical and psychological barriers between them and their children. The curriculum can be customized for use in a variety of settings, including juvenile detention centers, jails, prisons, halfway houses, substance abuse programs, and reentry/rehabilitation centers.

“Padre Adentro y Afuera™ fills a real need for the thousands of male inmates that speak Spanish and are disconnected from their children,” said Ken Gosnell, NFI’s Senior Director of National Programming. “This program provides hope to stop the inter-generational cycle of crime that occurs across races and cultures.”

A recent graduate of InsideOut Dad™, which is standardized in 12 U.S. states and used in over 20, said, “I have learned so much about what it means to be a dad. I have also learned a great deal about myself and some valuable information about how to make the changes necessary to becoming a better person and a better dad.”

Each year, nearly 700,000 individuals are released from correctional facilities in the United States, and, historically, almost two-thirds of inmates return to jail within three years of release. However, studies show that prisoners with strong connections to their families experience lower recidivism rates and are more likely to positively contribute to their families and communities upon release. In recognition of this growing need to serve the needs of the hundreds of thousand of prisoners who leave correctional facilities each year, Congress passed the bi-partisan Second Chance Act, which was signed by President George W. Bush on April 9, 2008.

By providing a Spanish-language program for incarcerated fathers, NFI hopes to reach even more inmates across the country in a culturally-sensitive way, helping them connect with their families and prepare for a new life. Learn more about Padre Adentro y Afuera™ at www.fatherhood.org/insideoutdad/spanish.

The premier fatherhood renewal organization in the country, National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) works in every sector and at every level of society to engage fathers in the lives of their children. NFI's national public service advertising campaign promoting fatherhood has generated television, radio, print, Internet, and outdoor advertising valued at over $500 million. Through its resource center, FatherSOURCE, NFI offers a wide range of innovative resources to assist fathers and organizations interested in reaching and supporting fathers.