NCJ Number
241458
Date Published
2011
Length
37 pages
Annotation
This primer provides relevant and practical information for public child welfare agencies and social workers in conducting casework with incarcerated parents and their children.
Abstract
Background information addresses the increased parental incarceration rates in the United States, legal obligations of the child welfare agency to arrested/incarcerated families, improvement in permanency outcomes for the child, incarceration's severe impact on the welfare of children, termination of parental rights, and improved outcomes for both corrections and child welfare. The first major section of the primer focuses on child welfare considerations regarding incarcerated parents. The issues addressed are policies and protocols at the time of arrest, data collection, communication with the incarcerated parent, and Adoption and Safe Families Act/Termination of Parental Rights. Other issues discussed in this section are the maintenance of child-parent contacts during incarceration, reentry planning, and domestic violence issues related to children of incarcerated parents. Another major section of the primer provides guidance on working with incarcerated parents and parents on parole or probation in the corrections setting. A third major section of the primer provides guidance on working with immigrant parents who are involved in deportation proceedings. Among the issues discussed are who can be deported, locating someone in immigration detention, how to contact someone who is detained, the right to appointed counsel in removal proceedings, detention center personnel, and an overview of the removal proceedings for an incarcerated parent. Contact information for resources is provided. 88 notes