Friday, July 16, 2004
(Washington, DC) The DC Department of Corrections will host "Mother to Child Summer Camp" on Tuesday, July 20 to Thursday, July 22, 2004. This event will be held at the Central Detention Facility (DC Jail), Second Floor Conference Room from 10 am to 2 pm on all three days. The project is designed to enrich the relationship between incarcerated women and their children, and is being sponsored in conjunction with Hope House and The Rebecca Project, organizations dedicated to service the needs of District inmates.
Sixteen youth, ages 8 to 14, will visit with their mothers at the facility to participate in arts, crafts, games, and other parent and child bonding activities. Other highlights of the project will include a journaling workshop, creating a mural and a drum art project.
Department of Corrections Director Odie Washington regards the project as an innovative approach of uniting incarcerated mothers with their children. Director Washington states, "Hosting a 'camp' at the facility provides a welcomed opportunity and a relaxed forum for incarcerated mothers to share a special bond with their children. I am certain that the experiences the mothers and children gain during the three-day project will be remembered for a long time."