Gwendolyn June Campbell Elliott Family Activity Center – This child- and family-friendly waiting area in the Allegheny County Jail lobby opened in spring 2007. It was created by a group of more than 100 grantmakers, agencies, and individuals led by the Foundation, Allegheny County Bureau of Corrections, and Lydia’s Place, Inc. Because of the pilot’s success, the Center has become an integral program under the management of the Allegheny County Jail.
 
Systems Advocate for Children and Families of the Incarcerated – This new position was created in the Department of Human Services which saw the need for having a “point person” for families of parents in Jail. After two-year funding by the Foundation, this “ombudsman” is a permanent position serving families in Allegheny County.

Time of Arrest Protocol – Useful guidelines and community resources for police in assisting children when their parents are arrested, created by a task force convened by Judge Kim Berkeley Clark of Allegheny County Family Court. The arrest protocol was piloted in the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. It continues to be incorporated into ongoing trainings for police officers in Pittsburgh and other municipalities of Allegheny County.

Family Relationships – A menu of services to strengthen family relationships is being implemented for 200 residents of the Allegheny County Jail. The Foundation and the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative gathered testimony from parents in jail and after release, children, family members, service provider, probation and correctional staff to learn about the impact of incarceration. This information was shared with the leaders of the Collaborative which resulted in the inclusion of the importance of healing and strengthening family relationships in reentry reforms in Allegheny County. More than a dozen local foundations joined together to provide funding to the Jail Collaborative to implement family and children’s services to assist and sustain relationships while a parent is in Jail and after release. This local partnership was instrumental in securing funding from a national funder to support this effort.

Discharge Center – This area of the Allegheny County Jail opened in March 2011 to allow a planned discharge process which assures both support for the resident and notification to family before discharge. No longer will releases occur in the wee hours of the morning – an often voiced concern – but rather between the hours of 8am and 9pm.

Amplifying the Voices of Children – An opportunity for children of incarcerated parents to educate the public and decision-makers. Through Amachi Ambassadors – a partnership of Amachi Pittsburgh and the Foundation – their words will be included in a forthcoming report. Future plans include teen “coaches” for younger children, a series of “tips for parents” written by youth and family members, and interactive media featuring children and their parents.


The Foundation’s two Reports to the Community that share the findings from the 2003-05 data and the community’s responses, and a PowerPoint presentation from the latest focus groups conducted by the Foundation are available in the “Reports & Media” section on this website.