1. Effects of Parental Incarceration on Children
Leo R. Sandy

2. Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights in San Francisco in 2003
I. have the right, to be kept safe and informed at the time of my parent’s arrest. 2. I have the right, to be heard when decisions are made about me. 3. I have the right, to be considered when decisions are made about my parent. 4. I have the right, to be well cared for in my parent’s absence. 5. I have the right, to speak with, see and touch my parent.

3. Bill of Rights cont’d
6. I have the right to support as I struggle with my parent’s incarceration.
7. I have the right not to be judged, blamed or
labeled because of my parent’s
incarceration.
8. I have the right to a lifelong relationship with my parent.

4. Risk Factors
When one parent is incarcerated it is more likely that the other parent is, has been, or will also be incarcerated
High rates of familial incarceration (grandparents, etc.)

5. Statistics
1 in 14 children are affected by parental incarceration, with a large concentration of these children located in large, urban areas
A much larger percent of children have a parent who has had some form of contact with the criminal justice system (perhaps over
50% )
In 1999, an estimated 1.5 million minor children had a parent in a United States prison.
> 22% of these children were under the age of 5
> 58% were under the age of 10

6. Statistics cont’d
1 in 28 children currently have a parent incarcerated.

7. Risk Factors
Children may be desensitized to criminality and incarceration, because:
> They are socialized to follow in their parents paths – prison culture
> In some neighborhoods it is more common for young men to go to jail than to college
> They may come to believe that drug use and illegal activities used to obtain drugs are normative

8. Risk Factors
Siblings may be separated and placed in non-familial care situations where risks include:
Physical and sexual abuse
Failure to complete high school education
Loss of family and other support systems

9. Effects on Children
the majority of affected minor children are less than ten years old
Small children may feel they are in some way to blame for the parent’s disappearance.
Many will feel anger either at the parent for subjecting them to such a disaster

10. Effects on Children
When compared to boys in the general population, boys separated from their parents because of parental incarceration are 5 times more likely to be incarcerated by the time they are adults.
They are more likely to struggle with internalizing behaviors such as depression and having difficulty forming attachments with caregivers and other individuals

11. Effects on Children
Presence of externalizing behaviors such as aggression and conduct problems
Exhibit characteristics of trauma-related stress such as difficulty sleeping and having trouble concentration
Other maladaptive behaviors include:
Learning problems
Truancy
Early pregnancy
Drug abuse

12. Effects on Children
Long term psychological effects may include insecure attachments; internalizing problems such as anxiety, withdrawal, hypervigilance, depression, shame and guilt; and externalizing behaviors such as anger, aggression and hostility towards caregivers and siblings

13. Effects on Children
A combination of fear, resentment and the sense of loss makes it extremely difficult for the child to focus on studies and to maintain normal social life.
Decreasing school performance, acting out at school, problems with peer relationships, sometimes even criminal behavior are quite common among these children

14. Effects on Children
The most profound effect of parental incarceration may be the loss of a child’s sense of stability and safety.
The child may feel his or her whole world has fallen apart; the trauma of abandonment and
insecurity may last for a very long time.
children of prisoners are more likely than other children to show antisocial and mental health problems

15. Effects on Children
children of prisoners have about twice the risk of antisocial behaviour and poor mental health outcomes

16. Caveat
Parental imprisonment is far from deterministic in predicting undesirable outcomes as many children of prisoners do not develop antisocial or mental health problems

17. Suggestions Be aware of the additional risks these children face
Work to buffer risk factors by increasing protective factors such as:
Providing a positive adult role model within the school
Seeking out organizations that have programs specific to supporting children with an incarcerated parent

18. Suggestions
Having books in the classroom about children with an incarcerated parent
Teaching children how to share information when asked about their family situation
Helping children cope with instability in their lives such as:
Changes in their living situation
Separation from their siblings
New school placements

19. Suggestions
Communicate with and support the family members or other individuals who become primary caretakers for the child
Help prepare children for visits to the parent in prison; understand emotional or behavioral changes that may be seen in the school setting when these visits occur

20. Suggestions
Educate students and school personnel in an effort to reduce the stigma attached to having a parent incarcerated, thus making a more supportive environment for children in that situation
(article)

21. Article Impact of Incarceration on Children

22. Incarceration Generation Video Clip

23. Echoes of Incarceration Video Clip

24. Effects on Primary Age Children Video Clip

25. Resources
Amber was Brave, Essie was Smart: The Story of Essie and Amber Told Here in Poems and Pictures by Vera B. Williams (Greenwillow Books, 2001).
Dad’s in Prison by Sandra Cain, Margaret Speed & Zui Mukjia (A&C Black, 1999).
Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care by Jennifer Wilgocki, Marcia Kahn Wright, & Alissa Imre Geis (American Psychological Association, Magination Press, 2001).

26. Resources
My Mother and I Are Growing Stronger by Inez Muary (Volcano Press,
Nine Candles by Maria Testa (Carolhoda Books, 1996).
Visiting Day by Jacquelyn Woodson (Scholastic Books, 2002).
When Andy’s Father Went to Prison by Martha Whitmore Hickman and Larry Raymond
(Albert Whitman & Company, 1990).

27. Resources
For Youth:
An Inmate’s Daughter by Jan Walker (Raven Publishing, 2006).
Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, 2001).
Breaking Out by Barthe Declements (Demco Media, 1993).
Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye (Simon Pulse Books, 1999).
Looking for X by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, 2001).
The Other Side of Truth by Beverly Naidoo (Amistad, 2002).
The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Peterson (Clarion Books, 2002).

28. Websites The Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents (CCHIP)
CCHIP offers an extensive list of free resources available to parents and families dealing with a family member who is incarcerated as well as several different services, from therapy to family reunification services.

29. Websites
The National Resource Center for Children and Families of the Incarcerated at Families and Corrections Network
The FCN has extensive list of programs, a resource library, and fact sheets created to help children and families all over the nation. There is also a “spotlight” section highlights informational articles that are of use to families dealing with an
incarcerated loved one.

30. Websites
National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections
This resource offers a variety of articles that deal with different aspects of the effects of parental incarceration.

31. Websites The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Provides services for at risk children in New England and Baltimore. This site also provides a list of books for adults on the subject of children with incarcerated parents.