Effects of Parental Incarceration on Children

As the growing prison population continues, children from all over face the many challenges and adverse effects of having a parent incarcerated. Recent estimates show that 2.7 million US children have an incarcerated parent, and more than 5 million children have had a parent in prison or jail at some point (Cramer, Goff, Peterson, Sandstrom, 2017). Having a parent incarcerated can disrupt the relationship between many parents and their children. Parental incarceration can have profound impacts on the emotional, educational, financial, and physical well-being of children and families. Removing a parent can trigger numerous problems in the relationship between an incarcerated parent and their child. The methods in this study include a review of existing research on the effects of parental incarceration on the health and well-being of children and provide policy recommendations to improve them. The United States should move from a criminal legal system solely focused on punishment and confinement toward a new system that invests in public safety by building healthy communities. Efforts toward supporting rehabilitation programs with a goal of stability and health for vulnerable families would create the best outcome. Parental incarceration is now common and concentrated among the most vulnerable families. Child advocates need to act at a state and local level advocating for children in schools and in the communities who have a parent incarcerated. Policies that decrease imprisonment and support the most vulnerable families will yield substantial benefits (Wakefield and Wildeman, 2018). References: Bryant, E. (2021). More Than 5 Million Children Have Had an Incarcerated Parent. Vera Institute of Justice. Cramer, L., Goff M., Peterson, B., Sandstrom, H. (2017). Parent-Child Visiting Practices in Prisons and Jails. Urban Institute. Wakefield, S. and Wildeman, C. (2018). How Parental Incarceration Harms Children and What to Do About It. National Council on Family Relations.