Research indicates that 70% of children of incarcerated parents will themselves become incarcerated at some point unless they receive positive adult intervention. They are reportedly six times more likely to become involved in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. Sadly, many of these children are born into family cycles that include poverty, substance abuse, poor life skills, and violence.
Some insights into incarcerated parents include:
Two-thirds of the women in prison have one or more minor children
The female inmate population has more than tripled since 1985
Among mothers in state prisons, 1 in 3 committed their crime to get drugs or money for drugs
One in 14 African-American children has a parent in prison
The majority of parents in state prisons are violent offenders or drug traffickers; over three-fourths have prior convictions
Over half admit to using drugs in the month before their offense and one-fourth admit to a history of alcohol dependence
Almost three-fourths never completed high school
Develop attachment disorders and broad varieties of behavioral, emotional, health, and educational difficulties
Become angry and lash out at others, putting themselves into painful confrontations with those in authority
Fail to develop values and social skills leading to the formation of successful relationships
Suffer family economic loss, which further strains the family and a caregiver’s ability to meet the child’s needs
When a parent is in prison, children are often sent to live with grandparents or other relatives whether they are wanted there or not. Some end up in the foster care system. They are often overlooked or ignored by the community because of the stigma associated with their parent’s incarceration.
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