Breaking the Cycle of Recidivism One Girl Scout at a Time

The Girls Scouts Behind Bars program connects girls with their incarcerated mothers, while strengthening the bonds that reduce recidivism rates.

By Famin Ahmed, NCPC Staff

Children who grow up in healthy home environments with supportive parents thrive and grow into responsible citizens. Unfortunately, about 2 percent of all U.S. children do not have such a home life because one or both of their parents has been incarcerated for a crime.

Although the research base is too limited to quantify how likely a child is to follow in the footsteps of an incarcerated parent, criminal behavior by parents puts children at an increased risk for a life at odds with the law. Studies have shown that children of incarcerated parents are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and aggression; a decline in school performance; attention disorders; truancy; teen pregnancy; and symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

And according to the Child Welfare League of America, girls younger than 18 have become the fastest-growing segment of the juvenile justice population, despite the overall drop in juvenile crime.

Is there any way to end the cycle of recidivism that passes from generation to generation? There might be—through scouting.

The Girl Scouts Behind Bars (GSBB) program addresses the specific developmental needs of girls whose parents have been incarcerated. It was launched in Baltimore, MD, in 1992 through a partnership between Girls Scouts of America and the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice. The program strengthens the relationships between special troops of Girl Scouts and their incarcerated mothers, taking them to visit their mothers in prison on a regular basis, opening channels of positive communication during a period of mother-child separation, and teaching both mothers and daughters to become strong women who will make positive decisions in the future.

These Girl Scouts are pretty much like any other Scouts. The main difference is that the troops hold their meetings in prisons. In addition, the girls range in age from five to 17 years old—many are siblings—and their mothers have a greater involvement. And while traditional prison visitation limits movement and physical contact, GSBB encourages mothers and daughters to bond physically and emotionally over crafts, singing, and presentations on such issues as violence prevention and coping with family crises. Some GSBB programs also include parenting instruction, transitional services, and mental health counseling for the mothers, giving them the skills they’ll need to be good parents after their release. This bond not only makes the reentry transition easier for the mothers, but can also build self-esteem and a sense of security in the girls. GSBB offers programs in 26 states and at least 600 girls have been involved in the program every year since 2002.

Although it is difficult to track girls once they’ve left the program to quantify how many have managed to “keep clean,” the GSBB program has clearly had a positive influence. In a three-year evaluation of the GSBB program, the Girl Scouts of America found that 85 percent of the girls in the program felt “a lot” closer to their mothers since joining GSBB; close to three-quarters of the girls indicated that they had learned to avoid smoking, alcohol, and drugs; and 77 percent of the girls reported they thought they would finish high school and go to college.

The GSBB program was so successful that it led to Girl Scouting in Detention Centers (GSDC), a program that serves more than 2,000 teen and tween girls nationwide who have been adjudicated, are wards of the court, or are court-referred delinquents. Girls in the GSDC program also develop life skills, build self-esteem, collaborate with mentors, and work on academic and career development, putting themselves on a track to avoid further recidivism.

Will the GSBB program have a significant effect on these girls? Only time will tell. But a steady diet of courage, confidence, and character—the mission of the Girl Scouts of America—might be just the intervention that will make a difference.

Resources

Independent Lens: Troop 1500: This documentary film about one GSBB troop, directed by Ellen Spiro and produced by Karen Bernstein, was originally broadcast on the PBS program, Independent Lens. To order a copy, visit the Women Make Movies website.

National Institute of Justice: Keeping Incarcerated Mothers and Their Daughters Together: Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (NIJ Program Focus Series). This report, published in 1995, evaluates the GSBB program’s early years.