Justice-Involved Red Ribbon Week

Parent & Staff Facilitation Guide: Children's Stories & Family Engagement

Important Disclaimer & Branding Note: Red Ribbon Week® is a registered trademark of the National Family Partnership. This toolkit and facilitation guide represent an independent resource designed specifically for correctional, jail, prison, and reentry settings.

1. Program Purpose & Core Goals

The Justice-Involved Red Ribbon Week Toolkit was created to bring substance use prevention, healing, and family connection into spaces often left out of traditional community prevention efforts. Rather than treating prevention as an isolated lesson taught to children, this guide empowers justice-involved parents to actively model recovery, discuss healthy choices, and strengthen family bonds.

·        Transforming Prevention: Enables incarcerated parents to take an active role in guiding their children toward healthy, drug-free lives.

·        Turn-Key Facility Integration: Designed for immediate, low-prep implementation by correctional staff, case managers, and visitation coordinators.

·        Multi-Channel Outreach: Utilizes children's picture books and coloring sheets across in-person visitation, phone calls, video visits, and mailings.

2. Daily Story & Family Facilitation Framework

Each day of Justice-Involved Red Ribbon Week pairs a core curriculum theme with an illustrated children's storybook and matching coloring sheet. Facilitators and parents can use the following daily guide to structure conversations:

3. Facility Implementation Channels

A. In-Person Visitation Rooms: Set up a dedicated 'Kids & Family Corner' with printed copies of the 5 story booklets and character coloring sheets. Parents and children can read together and color during visits.

B. Phone & Video Visits: Place laminated copies of the daily stories in housing units near phones or video visit kiosks. Parents can follow along and read pages out loud to their children.

C. Mail & Letter Exchanges: Provide pre-printed story sheets, family pledges, and coloring pages for participants to enclose in letters mailed home to their children.

D. Unit & Group Facilitation: Staff can use the 2-minute daily outlines to introduce themes, facilitate peer reflection groups, and encourage participants to wear red on Friday.

4. Toolkit Library & Resource Directory

All storybooks, coloring packages, and facilitation documents are formatted in printable PDF (.pdf) formats in the digital toolkit repository:

·        Story 1 Booklet: Leo's Justice-Involved Red Ribbon Week Promise (Monday)

·        Story 2 Booklet: Maya Owl Asks Big Questions (Tuesday)

·        Story 3 Booklet: Barnaby Bear Builds Great Habits (Wednesday)

·        Story 4 Booklet: Ella's Gentle Helpers (Thursday)

·        Story 5 Booklet: Pip Fox Looks to Tomorrow (Friday)

·        Complete 5-Story Treasury Collection (Full Illustrated Book)

·        Printable Character Coloring Pages Package (All 5 Animal Characters)

“You don't need a title or a big budget. You need presence, consistency, and the courage to see someone's worth when they can't yet see it themselves.”
— Justice-Involved Red Ribbon Week Toolkit