No More Victims, founded in 2002, is a
501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...
program that works with the children of incarcerated parents in Houston. The program was founded by former parole officer,
Marilyn Gambrell
Marilyn Gambrell is a parole-officer-turned-teacher who started the program '' No More Victims'' at the M.B. Smiley High School in Houston, Texas. The program was developed to assist children with incarcerated parents, hoping to prevent them from ...
, and addresses the physical, emotional, academic and social needs and issues of teens through a facilitated peer-support program. The first classes were taught at
M. B. Smiley High School
M.B. Smiley High School was a public secondary school in Houston, Texas, Houston, Texas, United States. Smiley, which served grades 9 through 12, and was a part of the North Forest Independent School District. M.B. Smiley was featured in the film ...
in Houston, Texas. In 2005, the story became a
made-for-TV movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
called ''
Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story'' starring
Jami Gertz
Jami Beth Gertz (born October 28, 1965) is an American actress. Gertz is known for her early roles in the films ''Crossroads'', ''The Lost Boys'', '' Less than Zero'' and '' Quicksilver'', the 1980s TV series ''Square Pegs'' and 1996's ''Twister ...
.
The program's motto is "Get educated, not incarcerated." The classes are based on the No More Victims Family concept, which involves creating a facilitated, trusting environment in which children can openly discuss their challenges and fears, and receive the support of their fellow students. Despite research indicating that children of incarcerated parents are only about half as likely to graduate from high school as children whose parents were not incarcerated, every senior in the No More Victims program typically graduates and most are accepted into college, technical training or military assignments.
Target population
Parental incarceration has been called "the greatest threat to child well-being" in the United States because it creates the high potential that the child will be exposed to risk factors such as poverty, sexual and physical abuse, teen pregnancy and violence. According to a landmark study by the Anne E. Casey Foundation, more than 5.1 million children in the U.S. have a parent who is in prison or has been incarcerated at some point in the child's life. That includes 477,000 in Texas, where No More Victims is based.
References
External links
No More Victims(Archive)
Organizations based in Texas
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