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Fostering Connections Beyond Bars Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents Children’s Justice Conference May 2nd, 2016. Presenters: Shayne Rochester, Parent Alley and Formerly Incarcerated Parent, Washington State Parents Advocacy Network

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  1. Fostering Connections Beyond BarsSupporting Children of Incarcerated ParentsChildren’s Justice Conference May 2nd, 2016 Presenters: Shayne Rochester, Parent Alley and Formerly Incarcerated Parent, Washington State Parents Advocacy Network Lillian M. Hewko, Attorney, Incarcerated Parents Project, Washington Defender Association Carrie Kendig, MSW, Family Services Program Manager, Office of Performance Partnerships & Analytics, DOC Mary E. Pagni-Leavitt, CFWS Program Manager, Children’s Administration, Division of Program and Policy, DSHS

  2. Overview • Part 1: Impact of Incarceration and Child Welfare System on WA Families • Shayne’s Story • Stats & Myth Busting • Breakout Session1 • Part 2: Law & Policy • SHB 1284 • DSHS Policy & WACs • Alternative Sentencing Options • Part 3: Strategies and Solutions • Breakout Session 2 • Takeaways

  3. Part 1 Impact of Incarceration and Child Welfare System on WA Families

  4. Rising Incarceration and Families • Over 7 million people in prison, jail, probation or parole (Glaze 2012) • 100,000 in juvenile detention • 478,000 in immigration detention (Simanski 2012) • Rising Number of Children with an Incarcerated Parent • >5 million children have had a parent incarcerated (A Shared Sentence Report) • From 1980-2000, Kids w/ Father in prison or jail increased 500% % of women has increased 2x rate of men (Glaze 2013) • >80% are mothers, half w/ children under 18 (BJS 2014)

  5. Children of the Incarcerated in WA • Over 18,000 parents in DOC prison • 80% of prisoners report to have 1.91 children • 30,000 children have incarcerated parents

  6. Adoption and Safe Families Act 1997 • Shortened time frames for permanency planning • Increased emphasis on adoption— • providing monetary incentives • allocated resources to planning & preparing adoptive homes. • Implemented arbitrary timelines to speed up the time within which agencies should petition for TPR

  7. Increase in Prison Population = Increase in DSHS Involvement • Among children under 18 with an identified parent (SFY 2007), those with ever-DOC-incarcerated parents are more likely to be part of a CPS case management case: • Dad only ever in prison 9% • Mom only ever in DOC prison, 10% • Both parents ever in DOC prison, 12% • Neither parent in DOC prison 3%

  8. Barriers Created by Prison • Permanency challenges- • Barriers to family support systems, therapeutic services and visiting opportunities • More than half of parents housed in a state correctional facility have never had a visit with their children • Difficult timeframes • Sentences are often longer than 15/22 months, and • Frequently more labor intensive and time consuming

  9. Result: Prison population Child Welfare Timeline 2X more likely to lose parental rights*

  10. Racial & Class Bias in Criminal Justice System & Child Welfare System 1 IN 9 BLACK CHILDREN HAS AN INCARCERATED PARENT 1 IN 28 HISPANIC CHILDREN 1 IN 58 WHITE CHILDREN

  11. Underlying Problem: Bias & Stigma Against Families facing Parental Incarceration MYTHS ABOUT CHILDREN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS

  12. MYTHS MYTH 1: Children of incarcerated parents are six times more likely than the average child to go to prison themselves.

  13. DEBUNKING MYTHS • There is no research to support this proposition • Research does support other negative outcomes such as risk for juvenile delinquency, behavior and school problems • Need to avoid stigmatizing “facts.” Support them because they are going through something difficult, not because they may become “just like their parent” • Behavioral issues can be addressed by support and building resilience T.Q. is a child of an incarcerated mother serving time in WA for a violence crime. He gets visits and overnights visits with his mom. Photo credit: Maria Bryk Photography, 2015

  14. MYTHS MYTH 2: Most children of incarcerated parents have no relationship with their incarcerated parent.

  15. DEBUNKING MYTHS Almost half of all incarcerated dads and more than half of mothers lived with their children prior to their arrest • 64% of mothers lived with their kids, most were primary caregivers • 47% of fathers lived with their kids

  16. Gender & Incarcerated Parents • Mothers: • More likely primary caregivers • 90% of fathers report child left in care of other parent, only 25% of mothers • Mothers 5X more likely to report child is in foster care than fathers. • Fathers & Non-custodial parent bias: • Fathers often not contacted by child welfare workers, in one study, 70% of caseworkers had no recent contact with fathers, and many had never attempted contact. *

  17. MYTHS MYTH 3: Most children of incarcerated parents are better off being adopted by relatives or a foster care parent. Result: No efforts to support reunification, or visitation while incarcerated, no access to services, encouraged to relinquish.

  18. Reality for Youth “We only have 129 days left to go and I am 100% sure we can make it” Daughter, age 14 to Mother at WCCW, Skagit County, WA “There was so much emphasis on me, supposedly, that they forgot about her... [w]hat would have helped me most is compassion for my mom.” All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated, written by Nell Bernstein T.Q. and her 6 year old son, she is successfully parenting from prison outside of child welfare system since he was a baby and will release in 2019.

  19. Maintaining Contact Helps Children • Express emotional reactions to separation • Learn they are not alone • Have a realistic understanding & can correct frightening/idealized images • Prevents the chances of termination of parental rights M.L. and her 3 year old son at WCCW Holiday Event 2014, she gave birth to her sons In jail and she has been successfully parenting from prison

  20. Myth Myth 4: Visits are Dangerous for Children. • Visits are traumatizing for children visitation rooms usually aren’t “child-friendly” • If can’t move to reunification, why put kids through visits? • Too far away/takes too much time

  21. Visitation Builds Resilience • Children of incarcerated parents experience trauma and loss characterized by feelings of grief, shame and isolation due to the separation. • Visits can help a child’s emotional adjustment and behavior • More contact associated with fewer symptoms of withdrawal sadness and anxiety. • Positive experiences in early life that help to build resilience can protect children from effects of trauma.

  22. Benefits of Prison Visits on Children’s Well-Being • Provides assurance • Reduces separation anxiety • Can reduce the child’s incidence of problematic behavior and improve outcomes • Provides stabilization • Maintains parent-child attachment T.Q. and her 6 year old son, she is successfully parenting from prison since he was a baby and will release in 2019.

  23. Family Engagement Video • Here is the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGAEmQK-Amk • May 26, 2015: Maintaining Family Engagement Improves Offenders’ Chances of Success • Note see DOC Q&A handout on how to get visitation and attend events!

  24. “Keeping Families Connected” DOC’s Numerous Opportunities! • Family Outreach-first timers • Family Friendly Activities and Events • Parent Teacher Conferences • Kids United by Incarceration Camp • Read to Me Daddy & Mommy Programs • Free Transportation for Families to regular visits

  25. Visit rooms are child friendly with “kids’ corners” equipped with toys and games.

  26. WA Prisons Provide a Family Friendly Events Just wanted to take a min  to  say  Thank you  for  the time and effort you put into the camp. Patience had the best time ever.  She won't  stop talking about it.  We visited her dad over the weekend and  she  went on  and on to him. People like you who  take the time make such a difference in the lives of our families.  Thank you is certainly not enough but it is all I have…--Caregiver Clockwise from top left: KUBI Camp and 2015 Holiday Event at Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) Photo credit: Maria Bryk Photography,

  27. MYTHS MYTH 5: Incarcerated Parents are Dangerous People. • They should not be rewarded with contact from their children.

  28. Violent Crimes and Incarcerated Parents • A very small minority of parents are incarcerated for crimes against children. • Parents are incarcerated for drug related or property crimes and violent crimes: • 95% of inmates return to the community • A majority of parents in State prisons are charged with violent crimes • For a majority parents who committed violent crimes, their crime has no connection to their parenting skills T.Q. is an incarcerated mother serving time in WA for a violent crime who gets visits and overnights visits with her son.

  29. Breakout Session #1

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