NCJ Number
241824
Date Published
2013
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of a survey on children with incarcerated parents in New York State.
Abstract
This survey was conducted to gather information on children with incarcerated parents in New York State. The data was collected in three parts: demographic data on survey participants, general questions about the connectivity between the incarcerated parents and his or her children, and specific information on each child's experiences with the arrest of their parent and the impacts on their living and educational arrangements. The survey found that a majority of the survey respondents reported either a racial or ethnic minority status, with 45 percent identifying as Black and 27 percent identifying as Hispanic; 80 percent of the respondents were between the ages of 18 and 45; and 46 percent of respondents reported involvement with the criminal justice system as juveniles. The survey also found that 60 percent of respondents had at least one child living with them at the time of arrest. When asked about connectivity with their children, 85 percent of respondents with children reported contact with their child prior to incarceration, 81 percent reported physically caring for their children, and 80 percent reported providing financial support for their children prior to incarceration. The survey also identified the major barriers that incarcerated parents face in trying to maintain contact with their children. These barriers include lack of transportation, lack of money, too stressful for family members, and not wanting their children to see them while they are incarcerated. Finally, the survey examined the current living arrangements for children with incarcerated parents and found that just over one fourth of the children who had been living with their parent prior to incarceration ended up living with someone other than their parents after their parent was incarcerated. Additional survey questions deal with the children's experiences with their parents' arrest. Tables