By Emily Mukasa

African American women continue to be among the top numbers of those incarcerated in United States penal institutions.  One of the oldest social clubs in the country is doing something concrete to help sustain families impacted by these horrific statistics.  Girl Scouts Mile Hi Council’s Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (GSBB) program helps mothers in prison reestablish and sustain the bond with their children that could easily be lost while they are incarcerated.

GSBB works with girls between the ages of 5 and 17 who have mothers incarcerated at the Denver Wome n’s Correctional Facility (DWCF).  The Denver-based program was launched in Colorado in 2000 by the Girl Scouts Mile Hi Council in an effort to break the generational cycle of incarcerated mothers and their biological daughters who also end up doing time.  Program founders hope GSBB will help break this family pattern of entry into the penal system.

Pat Coby, Outreach Specialist for the Girl Scouts Mile Hi Council, gives a history of the events that facilitated the launch of the program. “A local district court family judge noticed the pattern of how mothers were being incarcerated, then years later, their daughters would follow.  [The judge] worked with the Girl Scouts Council of Maryland’s program before starting [the program] in Colorado to come up with something to stop the generations of incarceration,” Coby said.

Rachelle Trujillo, Girl Scouts Mile Hi Council’s PR and marketing manager, is very proud of her agency’s program.  “Before GSBB, interaction between mothers and daughters was limited to sitting across a table from each other,” Trujillo said.   “With our program, they physically interact, which is vital in nurturing relationships.”

Janet, 34, who uses her first name only as a means to protect her anonymity, was an inmate at the DWCF and is a participant of the GSBB program.  Janet talks about the interaction and luxury of spending time with her daughter Josephine while incarcerated. “It’s not like we are in prison,” she said. “We get to spend time together.  I get to hold her and hug her.  And they’re not sitting there watching us.  It’s a very good thing,” s aid Janet.

 Janet got to see Josephine every other Saturday.  They made dollhouses, read books and took pictures.  For her daughters’ birthday, they put together cards and she sang H appy B irthday to her.

When Janet was incarcerated in 2003, Josephine was only seven years old.  She was not allowed to see Josephine until she was transferred to the DWCF.  Josephine says—when her daughter would come to visit and sit on her lap as they talked and played -- those were her happiest moments.

The GSBB program does have program eligibility criteria.  Only mothers who have complied with the institution’s rules and policies are allowed to participate. 

“They can’t have any write-ups,” Janet said. “They have to do everything they are told to be in the program.  You can’t be bad in there.  Everything has to be good. I did everything I could to see [my daughter].  No fighting. You have to work in order to see your daughter,” said Janet.

All the programs organized by the Mile Hi Council have their own volunteer-led troop or group.  When daughters of incarcerated mothers join the GSBB p rogram, they automatically become members of a GSBB and a Girl Scout troop .

While the GSBB meetings are centered around girls visiting their mothers in prison, the Girl Scout meetings also help girls learn life survival tools including caring for an automobile, learning how to cope with stress, understanding characteristics of healthy living and the importance of community service.  They earn badges for each topic they study and master.

Through participating in GSBB, the daughter s of the prisoners learn to make good decisions in their own lives. They also understand that those who commit crimes are accountable, which makes their participation in the program an intervention of sorts. Program officers are also able to monitor the home life of the children.  Problems at home are often a factor in their repeating the same patterns as their parent.

“One day a girl told us that there was no food at the house where she lived,” Coby said. “She also said she didn’t have sufficient clothes.  We were able to find some sources to provide that for her. ”

According to program rules, the girls aren’t allowed to participate in the GSBB program unless a member of the Girl Scouts s taff gets permission and buy-in from the child’s legal guardian.  Participation becomes a family thing.  GSBB organizers hope family buy-in will help reinforce the values learned during the program after the mother is released from prison. 

Unfortunately, once released from jail, mothers seldom continue participating in the GSBB meetings.  However, many do participate in Girl Scout camping activities, utilize career counseling and participate in community, health and other council events that take place every first and third Saturday.

Trujillo said that discharged mothers can volunteer and participate in the Girl Scouts community meetings.  “But in most cases they do not.  The schedule demands of the strict parole requirements are usually the cause.”

Despite the post prison requirements, since being released, Janet feels she is a much better mother as a result of her participation in the GSBB program.  She has been attending Josephine’s dance rehearsals , while Josephine, with the help of the Girl Scouts staff and volunteers, made a dance CD, which her brothers and her mother are really proud of. 

Janet’s youngest daughter, Destiny, who is four years old, also accompanies Janet and Josephine to the Girl Scout meetings.  Their family continues to benefit from the service and love of the Girl Scouts organization.

For more information about GSBB and other Girl Scout Mile Hi Council programs, contact 303-778-8774 or visit them on-line at www.girlscoutsmilehi.org.

Editor’s Note: Emily Mukasa is a freelance writer and reporter for the Denver Urban Spectrum.  She is also a volunteer for the Prison Ministry at Heritage Christian Center.