Girl Scouts go behind bars to teach, learn values

According to the National Institute of Justice, the mothers of an estimated 1.3 million children in the U.S. are in custody

In this story: 'We don't judge the girl based on her mother' 'I'm sorry' sometimes isn't enough Excitement, and a solemn pledge to be honest A wave goodbye through glass and bars RELATED STORIES, SITES

From CNN Producer Rose Arce

DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- The little girls on the bus are nearly silent so early in the morning. Squeaky wheels and morning mist dominate the senses, until the slowly purring heater makes them come to life.

"I'm going to show it to my mom," a 12-year-old tells the girl next to her, unfolding her report card. "I got an 'A' in Social Studies." The two stare intently at the teacher's squiggly remarks.

The Girl Scouts of Troop 1617 are taking an early Saturday morning bus trip to their regular meeting, where today they will study the Girl Scout Law, a pledge of honesty and responsibility. But the setting is a place that seems far away from traditional Scout values -- the Bucks County Correctional Facility, where the young girls' mothers are paying the price of having let those values slide.

The Girl Scouts of Troop 1617 are escorted through a hallway at the Bucks County Correctional Facility

"I had a hard time thinking of daisies and brownies with murderers and robbers, but it has been a wonderful blend and just to see the smiles on those kids' faces," says Allen Nesbitt, warden of the Doylestown, Pennsylvania, facility.

Nesbitt says he hopes the program helps to "break that chain of crime."

The chain Nesbitt refers to is that between the criminal offenses of the mothers and the future behavior of the daughters. According to the National Institute of Justice, an estimated 1.3 million children in the United States have mothers in custody -- and those children are six times more likely to commit crimes than children whose parents have never been arrested.

'We don't judge the girl based on her mother'

The Justice Department teamed up with the Girl Scouts in 1992 to launch "Girl Scouts Beyond Bars," a program that forms troops of girls whose mothers are serving time. There are now programs in 20 prisons in eight states, including the one sponsored by Girl Scouts of Freedom Valley near Doylestown, where not a single girl has been arrested in the six years of the program.

Girl Scout leaders believe the program discourages criminality among the girls by helping their inmate mothers teach their daughters the Girl Scout Law to respect authority, be honest and fair, and take responsibility for their actions.

"We are asking girls to learn that law and live by that law," says Janet Garretson, executive director of Girls Scouts of Freedom Valley. "Why should a girl not be able to live by that law just because her mother hasn't? We don't judge the girl based on her mother."

'I'm sorry' sometimes isn't enough

At the prison, the mothers already have some tough judgments about themselves.

Girl Scout leaders believe the program discourages crimes by young girls

Susan Freeman's daughter visited her in the program for months, until she was finally released. But when Freeman was rearrested her daughter refused to return.

"I wrote her a letter where I explained that because of my drinking and drugging, I had made a lot of bad choices and I told her I was sorry," Freeman says sadly. "But my daughter wants me to stay here forever so she can keep her life straight."

Excitement, and a solemn pledge to be honest

The young girls squeal with excitement on a recent Saturday morning as they undergo security checks, negotiate metal detectors and X-ray machines, and leave all crayons and pens at the door.

Once past a few metal bars, they fall one-by-one into the arms of mothers seldom seen, pulling out report cards and recent pictures, passing along hellos from grandparents and absent brothers.

And then they form a circle.

"I will do my best to be honest and fair," they recite in unison, clutching the hands of mothers, who are jailed mostly on drug and shoplifting charges.

Karen Law was handcuffed to her bed when she gave birth to her daughter, born during one of Law's multiple prison stays over the last 13 years. The 5-year-old's first Girl Scout visit was for Christmas.

"When they told her she had to go, the anger she had in her, I guess with me, she said, 'Can I take my Mom and bring her back?' The lady said, 'No.' And she was coloring when she was doing it, she pushed down on the crayon real hard. It was depressing."

A wave goodbye through glass and bars

Beverly Dozier of the Girl Scouts recruited the girls as part of her mission to expand the Scouts' reach into new populations. Her job at the meetings is to play surrogate mom, the firm hand that brings the girls to see their mothers and then takes them away.

"They see all this and they think it's normal and sometimes they mimic the pattern of their mothers," says Dozier, whose charges call "Miss Bev."

Most of the mothers are jailed on drug and shoplifting charges

"Our job as Girl Scouts is to show them other things and help them know that they can be whatever they want to be."

So the girls sing about friendship and tell their moms repeatedly that they want them to come home. They place their handprints next to their mothers on painted sweatshirts, get decals to reward them for singing Scout songs and race through a game of limbo.

Then it's time to go.

"When is the next time!? When is the next time!?" one little girl shouts to her mom as the youngsters are led away. "I'll see you in two weeks," her mother responds, waving through glass and bars and guards.

And the little girl squeezes Miss Bev's hand firmly and makes her way toward the bus.

Girl Scouts celebrate 85 years of camaraderie
May 31, 1997

Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of Freedom Valley
National Institute of Justice
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
  •  Keeping Incarcerated Mothers and Their Daughters Together: Girl Scouts Beyond Bars

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.