Did You Know?
Since 1991, the number of children with parents in prison has increased by more than 50 percent [1]. Most of these children have an incarcerated father, but a growing number-currently 8 percent-have an incarcerated mother.
1.1 million incarcerated persons are parents to an estimated 2.3 million children [2], Bureau of Justice Statistics
More than 7 million children have a parent under some form of correctional supervision [3], Bureau of Justice Statistics
Children of incarcerated parents will spend an average of 6 years 8 months separated from them [4], Aid to Children of Incarcerated Mothers, Inc.
Ten percent of children with incarcerated mothers will be placed in foster care [5] compared to only 2 percent of those with incarcerated fathers, Bureau of Justice Statistics
Children of incarcerated parents are 6 to 10 times more likely to the end up in prison than the average for young people, New York Amsterdam News (Jones, D. (2006). Saving the children of prisoners. New York Amsterdam News, Vol. 97(19), 5-5)
What You Can Do
Directory of Programs Serving Families of Adult Offenders [6]
This National Institute of Corrections directory has state-by-state listings of programs and organizations focused on children and families of adult offenders. , 800/877-1461
Books to Read with Children of Incarcerated Parents [7]
Children can benefit from reading and hearing books that tell about children in circumstances similar to their own.
Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights [8]
Children of incarcerated parents have rights, says the San Francisco Partnership for Incarcerated Parents. These rights, like the right to see, touch and talk with a parent, are listed in the Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights.
Responding to Children and Families of Prisoners: A Community Guide [9]
This Family and Corrections Network guide describes the serious risks facing families and children of prisoners and the protective factors that help them survive. This book lays out choices and challenges facing communities seeking to respond to families of prisoners and lists resources and strategies for action.
Storybook Projects for Families [10]
Storybook Projects throughout the United States provide children of incarcerated parents the gift of a book and the voices of their parents on tape reading the book. Children can hear their absent parent's voice whenever they wish.
Angel Tree: Prison Fellowship [11]
By connecting with Angel Tree, churches across the country can support children of prisoners year-round by participating in any of the three Angel Tree programs: Angel Tree Christmas, Angel Tree Camping, and Angel Tree Mentoring.
Organizations
Child Welfare League of America [12]
In "What Happens to Children?", the Child Welfare League of America summarizes the impact that a parent’s arrest, incarceration, visits and re-entry can have on children.
Family and Corrections Network [13]
The Family and Corrections Network offers information, training and technical assistance on children of prisoners, parenting programs for prisoners, prison visiting, incarcerated fathers and mothers, hospitality programs, keeping in touch, returning to the community, the impact of the justice system on families, and prison marriage.
Girl Scouts Behind Bars [14]
Girl Scouts Behind Bars is a parent-child visitation program that seeks to preserve mutually affirming relationships between jailed mothers and their daughters. Troop 1500 is a documentary about one of these Girl Scout troops.
The Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents [15]
CCIP was founded in 1989 with a mission of the prevention of intergenerational crime and incarceration. The goals of CCIP are the production of high quality documentation on and the development of model services for children of criminal offenders and their families.
University of Minnesota Center for Restorative Justice & Mediation [16]
This site provides links to many organizations and resources associated with conflict resolution, social justice, community restitution, and other principles of restorative justice.
The Sentencing Project [17]
The Sentencing Project provides resources and information about criminal justice policy and program issues, including those related to alternative sentencing.
Local Programs
Family Forward [18]
This program provides wraparound services for children/youth with one or more parents incarcerated in Texas. This program is conducted over a 15-week period and focuses on reducing trauma, stigmatization and stress of separation caused by parental incarceration.
Seattle Boy Scouts Reach Program [19]
Boy Scouts are helping keep boys in touch with their incarcerated parents.
The Children's Home Society of Washington [20]
This Washington state organization provides information for helping children of prisoners through its Parent Information and Resource Center.
Learn More
Family Ties, Through Prison Walls [21]
One of the most difficult challenges for incarcerated mothers is keeping a strong connection with their children. Chris Dickon writes for Connect for Kids about the Messages Project that has provided videos for the children of prisoners since 1999. The Messages Program has worked in six state prisons three times a year in order to create approximately 2,500 tapes from parents to children.
Mothers in Jail [22]
This Connect for Kids article looks at the rise in mothers being incarcerated, and how these women are far more likely to have been their children’s primary caregiver than men.
Inmates and Daughters Connect Through Scout Troop [23]
Connect for Kids profiles the Girl Scouts Behind Bars (GSBB) Program. GSBB serves women in minimum-and-medium-security correctional facilities. Unlike traditional prison visitation, where movement and physical contact are limited, GSBB encourages mothers and daughters to bond physically and emotionally over crafts, singing and other activities. The moms also attend bi-weekly parenting classes and planning sessions to organize activities for their children. Meanwhile, the girls participate in monthly troop activities ranging from community service projects to selling Girl Scout cookies.
Links:
[1] http://www.cwla.org/programs/incarcerated/cop_currentactivities.htm
[2] http://www.cwla.org/programs/incarderated/cop_factsheet.htm
[3] http://www.cwla.org/programs/incarderated/cop_factsheet.htm
[4] http://www.takingaim.net/facts.asp#effects
[5] http://www.cwla.org/programs/incarderated/cop_factsheet.htm
[6] http://www.nicic.org
[7] http://www.fcnetwork.org/kids-books.html
[8] http://www.cwla.org/programs/incarcerated/billofrights.pdf
[9] http://www.fcnetwork.org/guide/responding.html
[10] http://www.fcnetwork.org/storybook.pdf
[11] http://www.angeltree.org
[12] http://www.cwla.org/programs/incarcerated/whathappens.htm
[13] http://www.fcnetwork.org/
[14] http://www.girlscouts.org/news/news_releases/2005/troop_1500.asp
[15] http://www.e-ccip.org/
[16] http://ssw.che.umn.edu/ctr4rjm/Default.html
[17] http://www.sentencingproject.org
[18] http://www.familyforward.org
[19] http://www.seattlebsa.org
[20] http://www.chswpirc.org
[21] http://www.connectforkids.org//node/2916
[22] http://www.connectforkids.org//node/133
[23] http://www.connectforkids.org//node/3009
