Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children

Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children

Ice Breaker • Sesame Street: Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration -- Sizzle Reel • Virginia Jail Holds Father-Daughter Dance For Prison

What do we know about Incarcerated Parents According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics • 41 % of State prison inmates did not receive a high school diploma. • Approximately 1 in 6 jail inmates dropped out of high school because they were convicted of a crime, sent to a correctional facility, or otherwise involved in illegal activities. • Over half of all jail inmates grew up in a single-parent household or with a guardian. • Over half of all jail inmates reported they had used alcohol or drugs at the time of their offense.

What else do we know • Past wounds and unmet needs • Lack of parental guidance/ Cycle of Fatherlessness • Unstable support systems and unhealthy relationships • Strained relationships with the mother • Legal issues

Children of Incarcerated Parents Pew Charitable Trust Report “Collateral” Costs: Incarceration Effect on Economic Mobility (2010) • 1 out of every 100 Americans are in prison. • 54 % of inmates are parents with minor children (ages 0-17), including more than 120,000 mothers (62%) and 1.1 million fathers. • 2.7 million children have a parent behind bars - 1 in every 28 children (3.6%) has a parent incarcerated; that’s up from 1 in 125 just 25 years ago. • The average age of children with an incarcerated parent is eight years old: 22 % of the children are under the age of five. • 1 in 9 African American Children (11%); 1 in 28 Hispanic children (3.5%); 1 in 57 white children (2%) have an incarcerated parent. • About half of parents in the state prison provided the primary financial support for their minor child prior to incarceration. • 77% of mothers in state prison who lived with their children just prior to incarceration provided most of the children’s daily care, compared to 26% of fathers

Possible Developmental Effects on Children of Parental Crime, Arrest, and Incarceration

Challenges of Measuring Impact One major challenge confronting researchers is disentangling the effects of parental incarceration from the effects of other factors that could have existed long before incarceration, such as child maltreatment, parental use of alcohol or drugs, parental mental illness and domestic violence.

Risk Factor Exposure • Pre-incarceration living arrangements • The quality of the parent-child relationship • The amount of contact children have with their incarcerated parent • Children suffer economic strain and instability • Children’s age, temperament, gender, and coping skills, among other factors.

Fatherless Homes • 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) • 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes - 20 times the average (Center for Disease Control). • 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes - 9 times the average (National Principals Association Report). • Youths in father-absent households have significantly higher odds of incarceration than those in mother-father families. • 75% of adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes. • Teenage girls without a father present are 711% more likely to have children as teenagers, 164% more likely to have pre-marital birth and 92% more likely to get divorced themselves.

Children’s Contact with Incarcerated Parents • Is important in maintaining parent-child relationships and increases the likelihood of a successful reunification after release. • Score higher on measures of well-being, IQ, emotional adjustment, and behavioral measures. In addition, frequent visitation means the child is less likely to experience feelings of abandonment. • Several studies found that maintenance of family ties during incarceration is linked to post-release success, defined as lower rates of recidivism. • Visiting can calm children’s fears about their parents welfare as well as their concerns about the parent’s feelings for them. • Regular contact, preferably visitation with a child is critical. Courts are less likely to terminate the rights of a parent who can demonstrate ongoing positive contact with a child and involvement in his or her life.

Barriers to Visitation • Correction Policies • Facilities are not child-friendly • Parent-Caregiver relationships • Child welfare policy and practice

Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents • Arrest Phase • Sentencing Phase • Placement/Intake Phase • Incarceration Phase

Programming for Incarcerated Parents • Visitation Programs • Co-detention: Raising Children in prison • Alternative to incarceration • Programs for children of Incarcerated parents • Parental Re-entry: The Implication for Children

YOUR TURN • WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP CHILDREN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS?

Thank You. HAROLD HOWARDASSOCIATE DIRECTOR COMMUNITY CARE SERVICE LINE 4531 READING ROAD, 2ND FLOOR CINCINNATI, OHIO 45229 PHONE: 513-961-3292 harold.howard@talberthouse.org

Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children