FORMA

We love all our projects. But there’s a little something extra nice about this one.   

FORMA has been working with the Hands on Children’s Museum, FRAME, and the Department of Corrections on a pilot program to transform lackluster family visiting centers into inspiring spaces for play and engagement within correctional facilities across Western Washington. 

With statistics overwhelmingly demonstrating the benefits of successful family visitation programs–both for the incarcerated individuals, who are 60% less likely to re-offend when they maintain strong family connections, and their children, who are demonstrably more resilient to becoming incarcerated themselves if that bond with their parent is fostered–the simple transformation of these small spaces can have critical cascading impacts.

First up, the family visiting room at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen opened this past Saturday, May 11th. Representatives from the project team, visitors, and community members gathered to celebrate the revitalized room, which now features brightly colored wall murals and engaging hands-on elements to encourage interactive learning and play. 

Currently working on the next two facilities in our pilot program–the visiting room in the Corrections Center for Women will open on June 7th, followed by the revitalized space in the Clallam Bay Corrections Center later that month–we are hopeful that these results will spur further investment in similar facilities across the State.

For more on this project check out this HOCM video.