Why Parental Incarceration Matters
Risk Factors of Parental Incarceration
Discussing parental incarceration is important due to its significant and long-lasting impacts on the children affected. Parental incarceration is considered to be one of the ten adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) because of its effects on long-term well-being. Increased exposure to ACEs creates a higher likelihood that the child may develop harmful health and social behaviors such as smoking, binge drinking, and drug use. They may also experience depression, poor sleep patterns, and low self esteem. (Beresford et al. 2020).
Risk Factors of Parental Incarceration (Hanser, 2020):
- Delinquency
- Homelessness
- Poor mental and physical health outcomes
- Substance use
- Educational difficulties
Statistics on Incarceration
The U.S. has the highest incarceration rates in the world, which have quintupled since the 1970s (Pfaff, 2014). As of 2018, 670 of every 100,000 adults are imprisoned.
In 2018, 2.6 million children (under 18) had a parent that was incarcerated. Between 1990 and 2007, the number of children in the U.S. with an incarcerated parent rose from 945,000 to 1,706,600, representing 2.3% of all children in the country (Murray & Murray, 2010).
Resilience and Success Factors
Supporting resilience in children with incarcerated parents is done through interventions that create parenting programs for incarcerated mothers and fathers, practices in prisons and jails that aim to connect families, and programs for children with incarcerated parents. Youth resilience also benefits from engaging in busy tasks and seeking formal and informal support (Johnsons & Arditti, 2023).
Examples of Programs:
The Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership (COIPP) offers support, resources, and services to children affected by a loved one’s incarceration, along with their caregivers and both current and former incarcerated family members in the Frederick County, MD area.
The UnLocked Project is a student-led organization that is dedicated to raising awareness for children of formerly or currently incarcerated parents in the DMV area. We hold peer support group meetings with resources and bonding, providing an outlet for those who feel like they have no one to talk to about how parental incarceration has affected them.
Research Sources:
Beresford, S., Loucks, N., & Raikes, B. (2020). The health impact on children affected by parental imprisonment. BMJ paediatrics open, 4(1), e000275. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2018-000275
Hanser, R. D. (2020). Introduction to corrections. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Johnson, E. I., & Arditti, J. A. (2023). Risk and resilience among children with incarcerated parents: A review and critical reframing. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 19(1), 437–460. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-080921-081447
Murray, J., & Murray, L. (2010). Parental incarceration, attachment and child psychopathology. Attachment & Human Development, 12(4), 289–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/14751790903416889
Pfaff, J. F. (2014). Escaping from the Standard Story: Why the Conventional Wisdom on Prison Growth is Wrong, and Where We Can Go from Here. Federal Sentencing Reporter, 26(4), 265–270. https://doi.org/10.1525/fsr.2014.26.4.265
This article does a fantastic job of linking the social, health, and educational challenges faced by children of incarcerated parents. It’s a reminder that we need more comprehensive support systems to address the risks these children face.
As a Social Worker who took classes in Criminal Justice, I like the fact that the article discusses the effects of parental incarceration on children as well as the issue of adverse childhood experiences (ACES).
The statistics given in the article stood out to me because it gives me the insight on how much children are affected by their parents’ incarceration.
I love how this article provided two different resources for families affected by incarceration to reach out to. Good work!