Broken Bonds: Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Children with Incarcerated Parents

• NCJ Number: 222702
• Author(s): Nancy G. La Vigne; Elizabeth Davies; Diana Brazzell
• Date Published: February 2008
• Length: 21 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Corporate Author: The Urban Institute
• Sale Source: The Urban Institute
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Research report downloaded May 13, 2008.

Annotation

This report examines the needs of children with incarcerated parents and provides recommendations for how this unique and vulnerable population can be better served.

Abstract

Research indicates that parental incarceration exerts a unique influence on child outcomes including changes in living arrangements, changes in parent-child relationships and changes in financial circumstances. Parental incarceration affects a large and increasing number of children; 2002 data indicate that over 1.5 million children have a parent who is currently in a State or Federal prison. Most of these children are young, low-income, and Black or Hispanic. Children typically display short-term coping responses to deal with their loss which can develop into long-term emotional and behavioral challenges, such as depression, problems with school, delinquency, and drug use. When children of incarcerated parents have strong, healthy relationships with others, they cope better with the loss of their parent and exhibit less problematic behaviors. Although the most important relationship to develop and maintain is that which exists between child and parent, a support relationship with a caregiver, mentor, or other adults in the community may lead to similar benefits in the child’s life. Such benefits can, in turn, contribute toward healthier families and communities across the Nation. Recommendations include: further research to examine the impact of parental incarceration with multi-variables, and to examine the relationship between children and caregivers, mentors, and other important adults in the child’s life; rigorous evaluations on the effectiveness of existing programs to improve the outcomes of these children; better policy on obtaining records and information about children with incarcerated parents; better programs to strengthen children's connections with their parents before, during, and after incarceration; amendments to current visitation policies; programs to facilitate contact between children and their incarcerated parent, family involvement, and effective reentry and reunification between formally incarcerated parents and the child; and policies to support caregivers financially, particularly by granting benefits to individuals raising the child of an incarcerated family member. References