'Girl Scouts Beyond Bars' Helps Children Connect With Parents Who Are Incarcerated

A special program within the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma is helping connect children with their parents who are incarcerated.

It's called "Girl Scouts Beyond Bars." Joining us on the Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch is Executive Director Shannon Luper.

What does Girl Scouts Beyond Bars do?

"So I am the program manager for the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars. And with our program, we are a family reunification program. So we connect children who have an incarcerated parent, with the mother at the facilities. In the past 20 years, we're 21 years strong. So for the past 20 years, we were connecting children with their incarcerated mother. And I say children, because we're Girl Scouts, so of course we serve the girls. But because she has a sibling brother, we're able to serve the brother as well. And so for the past year, we piloted a program. The children who have a father that's incarcerated, it was our pen pal program. But because of a grant that Department of Corrections actually received and brought one of our organization as one of the sub grantees, we will be able to connect children with their incarcerated father in Hominy," Luper explained.

Image Provided By: Girl Scouts Beyond Bars

How does this help children of incarcerated parents?

"More than 26,000 children in our state have an incarcerated parent on any given day. And with our program for the past 21 years, we are proud to say that we have broken that cycle of intergenerational incarceration, because none of the children who have completed our program have themselves been incarcerated," Luper said.

Image Provided By: Girl Scouts Beyond Bars

What events are coming up?

"So the Fatherhood Summit, we will be at the Tulsa Tech on South Memorial, and it will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Thursday, March 14). There are several partners that are associated with the Fatherhood Summit. It's not only for fathers. It's for caretakers, for mothers and for the entire family. We're trying to look at the full aspect of fatherhood with full wraparound services. And so we're super excited about the event. OCCY out of Oklahoma City, Birthright Living Legacy, and several other organizations are coming together to put this summit on," Luper said.

Image Provided By: Girl Scouts Beyond Bars

What's your hope for the future of this program?

"I'm hoping that a little girl, or a little boy sees this episode or this segment. And they can go to their caretaker and let them know without fear, without shame, that they want to see their parent. And so I'm hoping that we might be able to make those extra connections for those little children, the voices that are being heard from today's segment, so that they can be connected," Luper said.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Girl Scouts Beyond Bars.