This CD and book will be sent to a child who can then hear their dad read the book to them, even though their dad is currently in prison. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

bedtime story

Storybook Dads program helping father figures in prison stay connected

Mar 1, 2020 | 10:02 AM

NANAIMO — Reading a book to your child is a special moment treasured by parents. Unfortunately it’s an opportunity many have lost due to being incarcerated.

A volunteer-based program by the Nanaimo Region John Howard Society is helping keep the connection between a father and a child, even during a prison stint.

In the Storybook Dads program, the person at the Nanaimo Correctional Centre is recorded reading a children’s book. The recording is then edited and sent to their child with a copy of the book, to be listened to while reading along.

Volunteer David Jilks, who’s helped inmates stay connected with their family through the program, said it’s a valuable program which means the world to the inmates.

“They’re so grateful for the opportunity. They’ll show up every week or two weeks, it really matters to them a whole lot.”

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In his time as a volunteer, Jilks said he’s seen a change in the inmates who make a committment to the recordings.

“You see as you go through they’re excited to see you, they start to tell you about the programs they’re doing inside and how they’re getting ready for their final release. They’re excited to share the good news with you because you’re a breath of fresh air, you’re a new person to share this stuff with.”

The Storybook Dads program began in the United Kingdom in 2003 and was quickly brought to the rest of the world.

The Nanaimo Region John Howard Society has run the program since 2012. Nearly 1,000 books have been recorded and sent off to families since then.

The program is consistently looking for new books for inmates and volunteers to record the stories.

Anyone interested in volunteering can found out more information online here.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit