Girl Scouts Beyond Bars

"So, is that like Girl Scouts gone bad?" Kelly, the director, told me is most people's first reaction. No, it's to try to keep them from going bad. This is a program I heard about first from reading the newsletter of the Northwest Film Center, when I saw they were showing two different films about Girl Scouts Beyond Bars programs. I was fascinated with the idea, and went to the screening back in March. The first of the films was made by and about a local program, in the Portland area, a troop that meets at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Oregon. I was so impressed by what the program is doing--getting girls together with their moms even in this difficult situation.

The moms have to meet certain qualifications: they can't be high-security, they can't be in the program if their crime was violent, especially if it involved any children including their own. They have to have good behavior in prison. If they meet all these qualifications, they can spend more time than usual with their daughters in a semi-structured program. I can see so much good about this program, the first of which being a way for moms and daughters to stay connected, even through months or years of imprisonment. What better rehabilitation than to see, right in front of you, the reason why you should straighten out your life? It's certainly not everything I'd like to see in prison rehab, but it's a huge start.

After watching the first movie, about the local troop (at which the girls who made the movie, one mom who'd been released from prison, and the directors of the program were present) I walked up to one of the directors and told her I'd like to volunteer. I've gotten through the application process, had my criminal check done (I passed--what a relief! ;-) and sat down with Kelly to learn about what I'll be doing. I start this Saturday! I'll be driving a few girls (up to 6, as that's how many I can fit in my car) to the prison, escorting them in, and helping to run the program. I'm so excited about this, I just had to share!