TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The children of inmates at Leon County Detention Facility will soon have a new, virtual way to connect with their parents.
The program is called Family Time & Tales and is a partnership between the Leon County Sheriff's Office, Leon County Government and Securus Technologies.
The program allows a supervising parent to bring their child to a dedicated space at LeRoy Collins Leon County Main Library on West Park Avenue to virtually read a book with their incarcerated parent via the Securus Video Connect service. The child will be allowed to take their chosen book home as a keepsake.
“This new partnership greatly benefits both parent and child. The children are strengthening vital reading skills as well as the relationship with their parent,” said Sheriff Walt McNeil. "Our hope is that this groundbreaking program will assist the reunification process when the parent returns to their family and community and, in turn, contributes to reducing the recidivism rate.”
The Leon County Sheriff's Office said in a release that the Family Time &Tales program is the first of its kind partnership between a library and detention facility in the southeast.
A ribbon cutting will be held for Family Time & Tales at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 2 at LeRoy Collins Leon County Main Library, 200 W. Park Ave., third floor.
