In a bold move aiming to turn around the lives of the incarcerated and their families, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office have teamed up with Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs. This new initiative, powered by a grant from Massachusetts State Senator Michael Rush, promises to address the behavioral health needs of parents behind bars and, in a trail to a brighter future, their kids.
Gene Takahashi, CEO of Walker, laid out the plan, saying, “At Walker, we recognize the profound impact parental incarceration can have on children. This initiative is not just about intervention; it’s about hope, healing, and building a stronger future for these families. With the support of Senator Rush and our dedicated team at Walker Solutions, we are setting a new standard for how we support children and families in these challenging situations.” as reported on SCSDMA.org.
The grant delivery to Walker was marked by a formal presentation by Senator Rush at the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department. This step underlined collective efforts to cater to the kids left in the lurch by their jailed parents. Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department seems to have taken this mission to heart with Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins stating, "This program offers the opportunity to strengthen the family unit, provide critical services to help children reconnect with their parents, and, as a result, help to break the cycle of incarceration that is often begun when a parent is incarcerated.” These details were obtained from the initiative’s official announcement.
Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick W. McDermott emphasized the essential role this initiative plays in the successful re-entry of justice-involved individuals back into society. “We can’t begin to talk about successful re-entry without addressing the impact the justice-involved individual’s incarceration has had on their families and, in particular, their children. This initiative, which will provide programming both pre-and post-release, will help individuals and their families work through these challenges to rebuild relationships and strengthen their bond,” McDermott was quoted in the noted press release.
