Our Mission
To minimize the negative impact on children of incarcerated parents by pairing children with supportive adult role models in the community for a period of one year. Mentoring by a caring adult is the single most effective strategy for building character and curbing destructive behavior.
The Facts
- There are approximately 62,000 children across the state of New Jersey with at least one parent incarcerated
- Children of prisoners are six times more likely than other children to be incarcerated at some point in their lives, with 70% of them becoming involved in the criminal justice system
- Because of incarceration, children will experience on average a separation of 6 years and 8 months from their parents
How it Works
- Mentor candidates go through a comprehensive screening process before they are accepted as a mentor, comprising of in depth interviews, criminal background checks, personal and professional references, and professional mentor training
- Amachi-Break the Cycle has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters and other faith-based, community and mentoring organizations to strengthen the matching process. These organizations provide supervision, training, and match faciliation
- Mentors take the lead in supporting a young person through an ongoing, one-to-one relationship
The Benefits
- Mentoring is a benefical and proven method to end intergenerational incarceration
- Mentoring will help children improve self confidence, school performance,and strengthen relationships with peers
- A positive mentoring relationship can reduce drug and alcohol use, and reduce incidences of violence
