The Parent and Child Connection (PACC)

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Parent and Child Connection (PACC) is a collaborative program between the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department and the San Bernardino Public Defender’s Office. It provides an opportunity for incarcerated parents to record themselves reading a book to their child, and then the book and the recording are sent to the child. The program is designed to maintain and strengthen the parent/child bond and encourage literacy. Kids who are not able to read to are less prepared for school, are at risk for poor language development, and are more likely to need remedial or special education classes. In turn, they are more likely to drop out of school, struggle to find employment, and may run a higher risk of living in poverty and ending up incarcerated themselves.