Many people have a knee-jerk, negative reaction when hearing about rehabilitation programs inside prison walls.

But the truth is many of these programs are some of the most important tools the system has for living up to the ideal of “correctional” facilities.

That's certainly the case with a new program at Auburn Correctional Facility aimed at helping inmates be better parents to their children, both while they're incarcerated and when they are released back into society.

Unfortunately, the program's future is unstable. Landing volunteers to help facilitate classes and provide support services has proven to be a major challenge, and prison officials have rejected a backup plan that was allowing some inmates to act as facilitators.

Prison officials have managed to rescue the program for a few weeks following the resignation of the coordinator, and they pledge to try to keep it going in the future.

We hope that's more than lip service, because this program has a tremendous upside.

There's the obvious benefit it's providing the children of these inmates.

If a child can maintain any kind of healthy relationship with a parent, there's a better chance that child will be a productive member of society.

It's true that some of these inmates have seriously abused children in the past.

But no matter how despicable some of their actions may have been, the reality is that many of them will some day walk through the exit doors at ACF. If they have some mental tools to help them be better people, everyone benefits.

Finally, there's the benefit for the employees at the prison. One of the inmates The Citizen interviewed for a story on this program said the lessons taught have helped him deal more productively with other prisoners, who he accurately described as “grown children.”

We're not looking for programs that give inmates college degrees or make them into lawyers. We just advocate for some basic rehabilitation that maybe can make a few of them actually learn from their mistakes.