Children of Incarcerated Parents

We often talk about incarcerated adults, but as one writer said, the children of incarcerated parents get lost in the shuffle.  They suffer tremendous disadvantages.  Many end up in the penal system because of the effects of the parental incarceration, poverty, illiteracy, and lack of available  community resources.

The references below discuss some of the issues. 

      Children of Incarcerated Fact Sheet   http://211.idaho.gov/pdf/COIP_Factsheet.pdf  (Annie E. Casey Foundation)


 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Urban Institute
 From Prison to Home:
The Effect of Incarceration and Reentry on
Children, Families and Communities
 http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/prison2home02/parke%26stewart.pdf
 From Prison to Home

A book that deals with some of the issues is:
Prisoners Once Removed:  The Impact of Incarceration and Reentry on Children, Families, and Communities., editors, Jimmy Travis and Michelle Waul

Recently the Baltimore Sun's article said:  If we Build $70 million juvenile jail, We will fill it,http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-10-03/news/bs-md-rodricks-1004-20121003_1_juvenile-jail-parole-commission-parole-system


CBS reported on the high cost of incarceration recently.
/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57418495/the-cost-of-a-nation-of-incarceration/

 Inmates participating in games with their children during a Family Literacy
Program in a Maryland Prison

Inmates, family members and children compete in an educational game during a Family Literacy Program.

Inmates selected a theme, did research, posed questions, and children, other inmates or family members can answer questions.  In this photo one of the child participant is wearing a T shirt from the state Summer Reading Program.  "Wild about Reading"

Prison Art and Craft

As a prison librarian I witnessed some beautiful art work that inmates created.  Some pieces  are sent home to families as a way of earning  income, others are displayed in various sections of the prison including the library.  In cases where they are allowed,  inmates participate in community events.  For instance when I visited Eastern Correctional Institution, officers and inmates were preparing  the float in the photos below,  for a community event.  In case you ask, No, the inmates do not get to go on the Floats.  They spend their time inside the fence creating the art work and the institution's representatives do the PR.

Float created for community event by inmates at ECI.

Glennor Shirley stands by a Float at ECI

LIBRARIES and DPSCS

Recent news from DPSCS is that an author, Gwynne Forster,  visited the women's prison, spoke to, and donated books to the library.  Inmates love to have authors because some of them see this as a way to have questions answered as to how they can write their own story.  Others are reading for the first time, and the presence of an author is an incentive to read.  The news from DPSCS also highlighted many good things the inmates do to give back to society.

Plessy v Ferguson

I was not born in the United States, so lack experience regarding many of the historical issues of racism. The prisoners with whom I worked brought Plessy vs Ferguson to my attention.  This morning's Washington Post had a reminder of this landmark case.  Reading it reminded me of the inmates- 5 days into my retirement.