Cambridge Who’s Who Professional of the Year in prisoner and family services, Verna McFelin, is chief executive officer of PILLARS, Inc. PILLARS is a non-profit organization providing services to children and families of prisoners through an innovative, long-term crime prevention program. The organization aims to break the cycle of intergenerational offending and lower the rate of imprisonment.
PILLARS offers several services for families. Their newest service, to begin in February 2009, will seek to help 13,000 children with a website offering support, information and advice for children of prisoners. This project will assist children nationwide by promoting the passing of a Children of Prisoners Bill of Rights. PILLARS also provides information and advice to 295 families of prisoners through their helpline in Christchurch.
One of the most influential programs that PILLARS provides is the Family Wraparound program, which includes mentoring and home-based social work support. The mentoring program matches 50 children of prisoners between the ages of five and 18 years old with volunteers who serve as mentors. Mentors are required to spend three to six hours every two weeks with their mentee and call at least once a week, for at least 12 months. Most mentors choose to continue mentoring and maintain contact past this time, as they are often the only stability and in the child’s life.
Home-based social work support consists of one-on-one sessions between qualified social workers and families to address the following “life domains:” accommodation, finance, physical well-being, education and employment, mental and emotional well-being, community andrestorative justice, parental responsibility, family relationships, law breaking and peers. Sessions times vary from daily to once every three months depending on the needs of the family.
PILLARS was started in 1988 by 12 women who wanted to acquire skills to support each other after the imprisonment of a family member. They also wanted to find ways to help keep their family members from re-offending after being released from prison. The organization is registered in New Zealand under the Charities Act 2007. For more information about PILLARS or to make a donation, please visit www.pillars.org.nz. To learn more about Ms. McFelin, visit her Cambridge Who’s Who profile: Verna McFelin.
