DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM At Waiawa Correctional Facility, the Fatheread program helps inmates improve their literacy and parenting skills. Another literacy program, Read to Me, has the men record themselves reading a children's book, which is then sent to their children to hear. Inmate Suiaunoa Suaava looked at some books Thursday that his three boys might like for him to read to them.

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Staying connected

Inmates learn to become more
involved in their children's lives
through literacy programs

On Tuesday mornings at Waiawa Correctional Facility, a dozen inmates spend two hours in class reading and discussing a children's book.

While the prisoners are working to improve their reading and writing skills, the literacy program also has a more basic goal -- to help these men become better fathers.

"I learn valuable parenting skills and more about myself," said Rocky Vladmir, one of the 12 inmates enrolled in the Fatheread program. "It teaches us how to read with our children and relate the stories to our own lives."

During the Tuesday sessions, program facilitator Robert Chang challenges the men to search below the surface of the story. He encourages the fathers to analyze the book's themes and extract its positive values.

"We ask them to write about how the characters relate to them and can help them to be a better father," Chang said. "For example, in one book, the boy was very courageous and overcame his greatest fear, so after reading the book, we asked them to identify their greatest fear related to fatherhood and map out a plan to conquer it."

Keikilani Meyer, who taught the first Fatheread session that debuted at the facility earlier this year, said the program builds the fathers' character and develops their communication skills.

"Fatheread is unique, since most literacy programs usually focus on the children. This program emphasizes the fathers themselves," Meyer said. "They learn to read and write in a non-intimidating situation."

According to Meyer, results of standardized tests showed adult participants have increased their reading comprehension by as much as four grade levels during the eight-week program.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Rocky Vladmir held a picture of his daughter, Tahlia, 12, on Thursday. He said it was a special photo because she picked it out herself to send him.

The program, sponsored by the Hawaii Council for Humanities, is part of the national Motheread program that has been in Hawaii since 1999. It has expanded to reach prisons as well as Title I public schools (those receiving extra federal funding because of student poverty), low-income families and public housing communities throughout the state.

Read To Me is another literacy program for inmates that promotes better parenting. Participants read stories on tape and send it to their children along with a copy of the book.

"My daughter cried when she heard the first tape because I never did anything like that with her when I was outside," said inmate Gilbert Kaai, who sends stories to his granddaughter every other week. "Now she is glad that I am making an effort to be a part of my granddaughter's life."

Ken Gross, who sends tapes to his 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter in California every other week, said, "Programs like this keep our bond really strong.

"When I'm released in July, I plan to continue reading stories to my children because it's a great way for us to spend time together."

Meyer said these programs promote literacy while giving the men hope for the future.

"The first time I served time on the mainland, I wasn't even thinking about my daughter," Vladmir said. He's coming up for parole for a drug offense soon and is working to complete the Kashbox drug treatment program at Waiawa. "Now that I am here, these programs make me realize that I have a reason to clean up my act and something to look forward to after I'm released. It's late, but not too late for me to be a father for her."