Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson (IL-15) and U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (IL-19) announced today that Cra-Wa-La Volunteers in Probation Inc, a program based in Lawrenceville, will receive $216,000 in federal grant money.  The program is designed to provide mentors to children who have one or both parents currently in prison.  The money comes from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services and will benefit Illinois families in Crawford, Wabash and Lawrence Counties.

“It is unfortunate when families face troublesome situations,” said Johnson. “Programs such a Cra-Wa-La Volunteers in Probation Inc. provide wonderful services to help families cope under such circumstances and I am proud to support the President’s leadership in creating and expanding this and other mentoring programs”.

Rep. Shimkus added, “This mentoring program is one way to break the cycle of crime that unfortunately affects too many families.  I applaud the Bush Administration for showing another example of compassionate conservatism.”

Research has found that significant physical absence of a parent has profound effects on a child’s development.  Children of incarcerated parents are seven times more likely to become involved in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems.  Parental arrests and confinement often leads to stress, trauma, stigmatization, and separation problems for children.  Existing poverty, violence, substance abuse, high crime environments, child abuse and neglect, multiple caregivers and/or prior separations may compound these problems.

The program for mentoring children of prisoners is a three-year initiative put forth by President Bush in his State of the Union Address that Congress has fully funded this year. So far, approximately 6,000 American children have been mentored, with an expectation of 33,000 additional youth served as a result of the new grants.

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