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“This is something my daughter will cherish forever. This has helped to make up for all the lost time where I’ve been away from her. Now she knows I’m always with her.” These heartfelt words are from Eric Cano, a Weld County resident currently in the Weld County Work Release facility. These words are also a testament to the Reading for a Change program, implemented by Weld County’s Department of Justice Services and the University of Northern Colorado’s Associate Professor of Criminology, Dr. Kyle Ward.
Reading for a Change is a nonprofit program which pairs a Work Release client with a UNC student volunteer to record an audiobook of the client's choosing for their 10-year-old or younger child.
“The program has been up and running in the Work Release facility since June, and so far, we’ve had six clients volunteer to record audiobooks for their children,” Weld County Department of Justice Services Director Doug Erler said. “This partnership helps us contribute to the success of our clients by fostering strong family bonds that will augment their safe reentry into the community.”
Reading for a Change works like this: After a client, such as Cano, volunteers to be a part of the program, Dr. Ward assigns a UNC undergraduate or graduate student volunteer to sit with the client and record them reading a book of their choosing. The client can even add a personal message for their child at the end of the recording. After the book is recorded, the UNC student edits the audio, packages it onto a CD, and mails the CD, along with a copy of the book, to the client’s child.
“When my daughter got the audiobook and heard my voice, she got really excited,” Cano exclaimed. “My family tells me she listens to the CD a lot since I’m not around; she gets out her blanket and tells everyone in the house to be quiet because she’s reading daddy’s book!”
Reading for a Change has been around for a while and was started by a few of Ward’s fellow Ph.D. students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Ward helped implement this program into Weld County’s Work Release facility by sheer happenstance.
“This program is close to my heart, because I was a student volunteer at the Indiana County Jail while earning my Ph.D. I soon took over the program, and after I moved to Colorado, I started it in the Weld and Boulder County jails. A student of mine, who was interning for the program in the Weld County Jail, mentioned it to Doug who then came to me and asked if we could start Reading for a Change in the Work Release facility,” Ward explained.
To date, there are 119 clients in the Reading for a Change program statewide - six of whom are in Weld County.
One of the most important benefits of the Reading for a Change program is how it strengthens family bonds. Dr. Ward explained that when someone is incarcerated, their family is doing the time as well. He noted that research shows continued familial connections, such as those provided by this program, decrease the rate of a client reoffending.
Cano echoes that sentiment.
“This program and the support from my case managers here in Work Release are keeping me connected with my daughter while I’m away, motivating me to return home to her, and helping me understand the importance of having a strong relationship with her as she grows up,” Cano said. “Reading for a Change has truly made a positive change in my life and my family’s lives.”
“The Justice Services Department is committed to helping our clients succeed, and the Reading for a Change program is one example of that commitment,” said Erler. “This program not only aids in the client’s success, but for their families as well. It’s cool to see these clients becoming better people for their families and in turn, helping their children go down the right path.”
By Shaley Dehner, Weld County Communications Specialist
Photo courtesy of Jessica Herrera, Weld County Alternative Programs Case Manager
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