PROBATION’S FATHERHOOD PROGRAMS HELP OFFENDERS DEVELOP
BETTER PARENTING SKILLS

Fourteen years ago, Chief Probation Officer Thomas Mitchell noticed a common thread among male probationers: the majority of them did not grow up with a father in the home.

Mitchell and Deputy Commissioner Steve Bocko created a program to teach offenders, many who had “no clue” what it meant to be a good father, to be positive and attentive parents to their own sons and daughters.

“Most of the men who end up in the program have not had good role models. No one has ever told them what to do or how to be good fathers,” Mitchell said. “They have to break that cycle-break that chain and step up to the plate.”

The 11 Fatherhood Programs across the state have a common mission which is based on “The Five Principles of Fatherhood”. The 12-week program, offered twice a year, features guest speakers such as judges, clergy, and social service providers. The age range spans from young adults in their late teens to grandfathers but may vary by court.

More than 1,600 fathers have graduated from one of the statewide Fatherhood Programs since the initiative was established in 1994. As a symbolic gesture, several of the programs scheduled graduation ceremonies in time for Father’s Day.

Barnstable County

In Barnstable County, Probation Officer Robert Smith of the Barnstable District Court has run the Fatherhood Program for the past 11 years. A total of 177 fathers have graduated from the program since then. The program’s graduation was Friday.

Berkshire County

The graduation ceremony for the Berkshire County Fatherhood Program – which includes Pittsfield District, Berkshire County Juvenile, and Berkshire Probate & Family Courts—is scheduled for July 29th. Seven fathers are slated to graduate from the program this year. A total of 157 fathers have participated in the program since its inception in 1998. The Berkshire County Fatherhood Program is run by Probation Officer Donald Wright.

Essex County

In Essex County, 18 fathers graduated before an audience of 100 relatives and friends on June 10th. This group was one of the largest Fatherhood graduation classes since the program was first offered in 1997 at the Lawrence District Court, according to Frank Audy, a Probation Officer in Charge, who runs the program. One of the Fatherhood Program graduates, Jimmy Tavares, said the program helped prepare him for first-time fatherhood.

“It is one thing to be a man and it is a different thing to be a father. There were a lot of fathers with different stories. But at the end of the day, it always comes down to the child,” Tavares said.

More than 200 fathers graduated from the Fatherhood Program in Essex County since it was first established in 1997.

Hampden County

Hampden County’s Springfield District Court Probation Department also has a Fatherhood Program which is run by Assistant Chief Probation Officer Anthony Carpenter. About 30 fathers have graduated from the program since Carpenter started it in 2005.

Middlesex County

In Middlesex County, there are two collaborative programs. One is a program which services Cambridge District, Middlesex Superior and Middlesex Probate & Family courts. This program also partners with the Union Baptist Church in Cambridge where the weekly meetings are held. A total of 145 fathers have graduated from the program since it was first established in 2000, according to Cambridge District Court Assistant Chief Probation Officer Ronald Layne. Layne runs the program with Probation Officer Bill Gosmon. The Fatherhood Program graduation took place on May 13th.

The second collaborative Fatherhood Program in Middlesex County includes participants from Framingham District, Waltham District, Natick District, and Newton District courts. The South Middlesex County Fatherhood Program received a three-year $6,000 Carlisle Foundation grant awarded jointly to the program and the Children’s Trust Fund. Nine fathers graduated during a June 9th ceremony.

Norfolk County

The Norfolk County Probate & Family Court Probation Department’s Fatherhood Program held its graduation at the Endicott Estates on June 3rd. The Norfolk County Fatherhood Program was the first Fatherhood Program established by the Massachusetts Probation Service 14 years ago. More than 400 fathers have graduated from the program, according to Probation Officer Brian Quinn, who has been running the program for the past eight years.

Plymouth County

In Plymouth County, 15 probationers graduated from Brockton District Court’s Fatherhood Program last week during a ceremony held at Teen Challenge on Main Street in the Crescent City. This year marks the Brockton Fatherhood Program’s eighth year in existence. The program’s coordinator, Probation Officer Steve Doherty, said a total of 142 offenders have passed through the program.

Suffolk County

In Suffolk County, there are Fatherhood Programs at two of the eight divisions of the Boston Municipal Courts: West Roxbury and Dorchester. There is also a Fatherhood Program at Chelsea District Court.

This year, the Fatherhood Program at the Dorchester Division of BMC celebrates its 10th year with the second largest number of program graduates of the 11 Probation Fatherhood Programs in the state. Since the program, run by Assistant Chief Probation Officer VanThomas Straughter was established in 1998, 267 fathers have completed the program.

The BMC-West Roxbury Fatherhood Program held its graduation this week for ten of its participants. More than 100 fathers have gone through the program since it has been in place. The graduation ceremony took place at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

At Chelsea District Court, nine fathers graduated from the Fatherhood Program recently. The Chelsea Fatherhood Program was launched two years ago, according to Chelsea District Court Probation Officer Tom Tassinari. The program’s graduation ceremony took place earlier this month at ROCA, a Chelsea-based human services agency.

Thomas Mitchell, who established the original program with Deputy Commissioner Steve Bocko, said he never thought the Fatherhood Program would grow the way it has.

“I feel an immense amount of pride. It (program) struck a chord with people. Universally, everyone wants to be a great parent,” Mitchell said.