NCJ Number
150412
Journal
Children's Voice Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (Fall 1993) Pages: 11,12,24
Editor(s)
M Liepold
Date Published
1993
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Children suffer in many ways when one or both of their parents are incarcerated, both because of the societal ramifications of the imprisonment and because of the consequences of separation during a child's formative years.
Abstract
There have been bills introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate recommending the formation of community centers to house female offenders who are not considered dangerous and their children; each facility would offer parenting classes, drug treatment counseling, and vocational training for the mothers as well as pediatric and adult health care. Institutions in several States have programs designed to maintain family relations during a parent's incarceration. These include visiting programs, hotlines, a children's center, and a summer camp in which children could be close to their mothers for a week. Some prisons offer psychological and support services for parents to treat their anxiety resulting from their separation. Private and community-based agencies also work to fill the gap. Child welfare service providers should work with the criminal justice system on behalf of these children, advocate policies that promote kinship care, help pursue family reunification for the children of incarcerated parents, and develop public education programs.