Corrections_Today_July_August_2019_Vol.84_No.4

Breaking cycles of incarceration The Ridge Project’s holistic approach to reconnecting incarcerated fathers with their families

By Robert Breckenridge II

W hen someone is incarcerated, it not only affects them. Their absence has a ripple effect on their family and loved ones. Parental and marital bonds can be severely strained with incarceration due to the change in the family dynamic, financial dependence and barriers to contact and communicate, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. One in every 50 children has a parent in prison or jail, and studies report numerous negative outcomes for children as a consequence of parental incarceration, ranging from depression and anxiety to aggression and delinquency, according to The Sentencing Project. The need for healing, restoring the family dynamic to what it used to be or even strengthening an already strained relationship between an incarcerated individual and their family is a very important part of the reentry process, and repairing damaged relationships is a strenuous and difficult process to tackle. An

approach to this healing process requires a holistic and multi-faceted approach to help repair damaged relationships and develop positive and effective traits for the future within individuals and families, and the Ridge Project does just that. The Ridge Project is a multiple award-winning Christian non-profit organization founded in 2000 by Ron and Catherine Tijerina. The Tijerina family’s commitment to rebuilding and strengthening family bonds stems from the turmoil that the Tijerina family faced when co-owner Ron Tijerina was incarcerated for 15 years in 1991. Overcoming hardships, includ- ing welfare, poor lifestyle choices and more, Ron and Catherine learned how to endure and build a new life together, but they both aspired for more. Together, they planned to create an outreach program that would help adults and youth create a new life for themselves by guiding them to make positive lifestyle choices and changes. →

Photo illustration opposite page: background: istock/Sohl; frame: istock/mkurtbas; family: istock/Wavebreakmedia

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