Why are the Children Suffering?
Sarah Elizabeth Pennington
October 05, 2009
According to the United States Department of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, at the end of 2007, federal and state prisons and local jails housed slightly less than 2.3 million people. With an increase in the number of inmates from 2000, men were responsible for 86% of that increase and women completed the other 14 % (Prison Inmates at Midyear 2007, 2008).
Every year more than six hundred thousand people leave prison or jail and re-enter society. In President George W. Bush´s 2004 State of the Union Address, he states that "We know from long experience that if they can´t find work, or a home, or help, they are much more likely to commit crime and return to prison…America is the land of second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life" (Pogorzekju, Wolff, Pan, & Blitz, 2005).
Contrary to the ideal and precedent that the former Commander and Chief pushed for, reality is facts. Not only are the jails and the prisons overcrowded nationwide, but also the number of children with a parent (either mother, father or both) continues to increase each year. From 1991 to 2007, the number of children with incarcerated parents rose by 80%, with the largest increase between 1991 and 1997 (Glaze & Maruschak, 2009).
This taken into account, the parents are arrested, convicted and sentenced to a predetermined time to be served in a predetermined facility. What is left in the aftermath of the undetermined are the children of those incarcerated. The children are equally punished for their parent´s crime by obtaining of either living in a one-parent home, living with relatives, or becoming wards of the state in which is followed by placement in foster care or group homes. The consequence of these actions leads to loosing contact with the parent and very little visitation time, if any. The worst part is when these parents are released back into society, because 95 % of those incarcerated will be released (Pogorzekju, Wolff, Pan, & Blitz, 2005), they are expected to take over all the responsibilities the had prior to prison. The only difference is they now have to do it with a number of disadvantages (Leggett, Msgana, & Salvin, 2004).
The disadvantages come in many forms. Along with being released from prison, the ex-convict obtains a label that could possibly be them for life: felon and/or criminal. Because of this label, there are many barriers for these parents to overcome: political, legal, social, emotional and financial, including the burden of reuniting with children they may have not seen in years.
Inmates need training, education and counseling before being released from jail or prison. This particular population is requiring a great deal of support. There is a strong evidence showing that if the parents, while incarcerated, receive the help and support they need before their release date, as well as having the support available at a community level after they are released, the recidivism rates have decreased (Report of the Reentry policy Council, 2005).
The number of children with parents going to prison or jail is steadily increases year by year. Most of the parents, it is not a one time trip, most will return within the first three years of being released. Studies have shown that those prisoners who were parents were more likely to have a criminal history, as well as having prior drug offenses (Glaze & Maruschak, 2009). It is a cycle that will continue unless there is some type of intervention to break that cycle. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont states that "It is vitally important that we do everything we can to ensure that, when people get out of prison, they enter our communities as productive members of society, so we can start to reverse the dangerous cycles of recidivism and violence" (Reentry Policy Council, 2009).
Reference
Arditti, J. A., Smock. S. A., & Parkman, T.S. (2005). "It´s been hard to be a father": A qualitative exploration of incarcerated fatherhood. Fathering, 3(3), 267-288.
Arrests. (2009, September). U.S. Department of Justice: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Report: Crime in the United States, 2008. Retrieved from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov
Case, P., Fasenfest. D., Sarri. R., & Phillips. A. (2005). Providing educational support for female ex-inmates: Project PROVE as a model for social reintegration. The Journal of Correctional Education, 56(2), 146-157.
Glaze, L., & Maruschak, L. (2009). Parents in prison and their minor children. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/pptmc.pdf
Jail inmates at midyear 2007. (2008, June). U.S. Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/jim07.htm
Kelley. T. (2008). Principle-based correctional counseling: Teaching health versus treating illness. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 4(2), 182-205
Leggett, K., Msgana, N., & Slavin, P. (2004). Setting the stage for successful reintegration after prison. Casey Connects: A Report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Retrieved from www.aecf.org
Loper, A.B. (2006). How do mothers in prison differ from non-mothers?. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15(1), 83-95. doi: 1062-1024/06/0200-0083/1
Mackintosh, V.H., Myers, B.J., & Kennon, S. (2006). Children of incarcerated mothers and their caregivers: Factors affecting the quality of their relationship. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15(5), 581-596. doi: 1062-1024/06/1000-0581/1
Pogorzelski, W., Wolff, N., Pan, K., & Blitz, C. (2005). Behavioral health problems, ex-offender reentry policies, and the "Second Chance Act". American Journal of Public Health, 95(10), 1718-1724.
Prison inmates at midyear 2007. (2008, June). U.S. Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/pim07.htm
Prisoners in 2007. (2008, December). U.S. Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/p07.htm
Reentry Policy Council. (2008). A Project of the Justice Center. Retrieved from http://reentrypolicy.org
Schirmer, S., Nellis, A., & Mauer, M. (2009). Incarcerated parents and their children: Trends 1991 – 2007. The Sentencing Project: Research and Advocacy for Reform. Retrieved from www.sentencingproject.org
Tripp, W. (2009). Fathers in jail: Managing dual identities. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 5(1), 26-56.
Every year more than six hundred thousand people leave prison or jail and re-enter society. In President George W. Bush´s 2004 State of the Union Address, he states that "We know from long experience that if they can´t find work, or a home, or help, they are much more likely to commit crime and return to prison…America is the land of second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life" (Pogorzekju, Wolff, Pan, & Blitz, 2005).
Contrary to the ideal and precedent that the former Commander and Chief pushed for, reality is facts. Not only are the jails and the prisons overcrowded nationwide, but also the number of children with a parent (either mother, father or both) continues to increase each year. From 1991 to 2007, the number of children with incarcerated parents rose by 80%, with the largest increase between 1991 and 1997 (Glaze & Maruschak, 2009).
This taken into account, the parents are arrested, convicted and sentenced to a predetermined time to be served in a predetermined facility. What is left in the aftermath of the undetermined are the children of those incarcerated. The children are equally punished for their parent´s crime by obtaining of either living in a one-parent home, living with relatives, or becoming wards of the state in which is followed by placement in foster care or group homes. The consequence of these actions leads to loosing contact with the parent and very little visitation time, if any. The worst part is when these parents are released back into society, because 95 % of those incarcerated will be released (Pogorzekju, Wolff, Pan, & Blitz, 2005), they are expected to take over all the responsibilities the had prior to prison. The only difference is they now have to do it with a number of disadvantages (Leggett, Msgana, & Salvin, 2004).
The disadvantages come in many forms. Along with being released from prison, the ex-convict obtains a label that could possibly be them for life: felon and/or criminal. Because of this label, there are many barriers for these parents to overcome: political, legal, social, emotional and financial, including the burden of reuniting with children they may have not seen in years.
Inmates need training, education and counseling before being released from jail or prison. This particular population is requiring a great deal of support. There is a strong evidence showing that if the parents, while incarcerated, receive the help and support they need before their release date, as well as having the support available at a community level after they are released, the recidivism rates have decreased (Report of the Reentry policy Council, 2005).
The number of children with parents going to prison or jail is steadily increases year by year. Most of the parents, it is not a one time trip, most will return within the first three years of being released. Studies have shown that those prisoners who were parents were more likely to have a criminal history, as well as having prior drug offenses (Glaze & Maruschak, 2009). It is a cycle that will continue unless there is some type of intervention to break that cycle. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont states that "It is vitally important that we do everything we can to ensure that, when people get out of prison, they enter our communities as productive members of society, so we can start to reverse the dangerous cycles of recidivism and violence" (Reentry Policy Council, 2009).
Reference
Arditti, J. A., Smock. S. A., & Parkman, T.S. (2005). "It´s been hard to be a father": A qualitative exploration of incarcerated fatherhood. Fathering, 3(3), 267-288.
Arrests. (2009, September). U.S. Department of Justice: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Report: Crime in the United States, 2008. Retrieved from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov
Case, P., Fasenfest. D., Sarri. R., & Phillips. A. (2005). Providing educational support for female ex-inmates: Project PROVE as a model for social reintegration. The Journal of Correctional Education, 56(2), 146-157.
Glaze, L., & Maruschak, L. (2009). Parents in prison and their minor children. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/pptmc.pdf
Jail inmates at midyear 2007. (2008, June). U.S. Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/jim07.htm
Kelley. T. (2008). Principle-based correctional counseling: Teaching health versus treating illness. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 4(2), 182-205
Leggett, K., Msgana, N., & Slavin, P. (2004). Setting the stage for successful reintegration after prison. Casey Connects: A Report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Retrieved from www.aecf.org
Loper, A.B. (2006). How do mothers in prison differ from non-mothers?. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15(1), 83-95. doi: 1062-1024/06/0200-0083/1
Mackintosh, V.H., Myers, B.J., & Kennon, S. (2006). Children of incarcerated mothers and their caregivers: Factors affecting the quality of their relationship. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15(5), 581-596. doi: 1062-1024/06/1000-0581/1
Pogorzelski, W., Wolff, N., Pan, K., & Blitz, C. (2005). Behavioral health problems, ex-offender reentry policies, and the "Second Chance Act". American Journal of Public Health, 95(10), 1718-1724.
Prison inmates at midyear 2007. (2008, June). U.S. Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/pim07.htm
Prisoners in 2007. (2008, December). U.S. Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/p07.htm
Reentry Policy Council. (2008). A Project of the Justice Center. Retrieved from http://reentrypolicy.org
Schirmer, S., Nellis, A., & Mauer, M. (2009). Incarcerated parents and their children: Trends 1991 – 2007. The Sentencing Project: Research and Advocacy for Reform. Retrieved from www.sentencingproject.org
Tripp, W. (2009). Fathers in jail: Managing dual identities. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 5(1), 26-56.
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