Connecting through Literacy: Incarcerated parents, Children & Caregivers (CLICC)

Connecting through Literacy: Incarcerated Parents, their Children, and Caregivers, a program of Connecticut Appleseed, aims to reduce recidivism and facilitate reentry by reconnecting incarcerated parents and their children using a family literacy curriculum, providing supportive mentors, and offering transitional services.

CLICC is a twelve-month program (six months pre-release and six months post-release) that helps incarcerated parents and their children (ages 7-14) reconnect while improving their literacy. During the program, parents and children read the same books and complete book-based activities (the CLICC curriculum) together by mailing letters to each other, exchanging emails, and/or discussing the books via phone as appropriate. Mentors support the incarcerated parents and their children during the program. Upon reentry, the clients receive comprehensive reentry services, family supports, mentoring and ongoing guidance on incorporating literacy activities into their parenting.

The objectives of CLICC are: 1) to improve the literacy of incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers; 2) to strengthen relations among incarcerated parents, children, and caregivers; and 3) to enhance incarcerated parents’ capabilities to meet the challenges of reentry upon release from the Institute.