‘Read Me a Story’ helps incarcerated parents stay connected with their children

Lincoln, Neb. (KLKN) — For 35 years, Rebecca Smith has used something as simple as a children’s book to help parents stay connected with their kids during incarceration.

Smith, founder of “Read Me a Story,” shared the story behind the program Tuesday with the Women’s Welcome Club of Lincoln at the Sesostris Shrine Center.

The idea began while Smith was working as an attorney and meeting with incarcerated clients about their cases.

“When I was doing my law career and meeting clients to talk about their cases, the one thing that they all had in common was how much they missed their kids,” Smith said. “And I thought there’s got to be a way I can do something about this.”

That thought became “Read Me a Story.”

Through the program, incarcerated parents can choose a children’s book and record themselves reading it. Smith then mails the book to the child and sends the recording to the family, allowing the parent and child to share a story even while they are apart.

Smith said maintaining that connection can be important for both children and their parents.

“They needed to have some connection with them,” Smith said. “And it also helped the person who was incarcerated realize how important it is to spend time with their child.”

She said some participants may not have regularly read bedtime stories to their children before they were incarcerated, but the program can show them how meaningful that time can be.

When Smith started the program, she did the work on her own and recorded parents reading on cassette tapes. As technology evolved, she moved to CDs and now uses a handheld recording device that creates digital audio files she can email to families.

Volunteers have also joined Smith over the years, allowing the program to reach more parents.

Smith said the program sent more than 1,000 books and recordings to children in just its first three years. She no longer knows exactly how many thousands have been sent during the program’s 35-year history, but said they have reached families across the United States and in other countries.

While the technology has changed, Smith said the moments she has witnessed through the program have stayed with her.

She recalled one father who was reluctant to participate because he struggled to read. With his son’s birthday approaching, he asked whether he could send a book without making a recording.

Smith told him he could, and then offered another idea.

“I said, ‘If you would like, we will all sing Happy Birthday to your son,’ and we did,” Smith said. “Me and 10 big, burly tattooed men sang Happy Birthday to a little kid who was missing their dad. Everybody was in tears.”

Decades after starting the program, Smith said she hopes people also come away with a greater understanding of the parents it serves.

“The people who are incarcerated are still people,” Smith said. “They’re not a number or an orange jumpsuit. They’re moms and dads. They made a mistake, and they’re paying for it.”

Smith said she would eventually like to see “Read Me a Story” available in every Nebraska county. She is also looking for more volunteers to help the program reach additional facilities, parents and children.