1. Prison and Parenthood Lesson Seven

2. According to Sesame Street:

3. Today’s Main Idea: The US prison population has experienced unprecedented growth in the last 40 years. The increasing number of inmates has created a larger number of children who have parents incarcerated.

4. The Statistics: 2.7 million children have an incarcerated parent That equals about 1 in 28 children 2/3rds of these parents are non-violent offenders Statistics by race: 1 in 110 white children have an incarcerated parent 1 in 15 African American children have an incarcerated parent 1 if 41 Hispanic children have an incarcerated parent

5. Mental Health: Children with an incarcerated parent are affected in numerous ways. This includes physical health, social behavior, and school issues. Children often have a stigma attached to them – this causes further social problems.

6. Guardianship: Single parents often have their guardianship terminated. Reports say that ¼ of all temporary guardians do not tell children their parent is incarcerated. Psychologist say this is damaging to the child’s development. This can cause the child more embarrassment.

7. Approximately 88% of incarcerated fathers have children living with the mother and only 2% have a dependent in foster care. Children with incarcerated mothers are more likely to be in foster care – 11% are placed in this system. Only 45% of these children are with their fathers and 23% are in the custody of a relative or friend.

8. In the Home…: Children with incarcerated parents are more likely to deal with violence, abuse and drugs in the home. This problem is believed to cause depression and school issues in children of all ages. Many children are embarrassed to have a parent incarcerated. Younger children often feel that it is their fault their parent is jail.

9. Relationships: Children with an incarcerated parent experience unique and challenging developmental issues. These issues vary between parent and child, but below are listed some trends. Ages: 2 to 11 – Separation anxiety 7 to 10 – Developmental regression, poor self concept and trauma in the home 11 to 14 – Out of line behavior and tendency to defy authority 15 to 18 – Early independence from parents

10. Issues at School: Children with parents in jail often have a more difficult time at school, both socially and academically. Children tend to be more anti-social, especially in older children. Students with parents in jail tend to exhibit below grade level academic performance. Children in this group also have a harder time focusing in school.

11. The Aftermath: Males with incarcerated fathers are more likely to have legal troubles. The Department of Health and Human Services say that children’s whose parents are incarcerated are six times more likely to end up in prison. The more a child communicates with an incarcerated the less issues they tend to deal with in school and at home.