Children in every community are affected by the incarceration of a parent or loved one. “One in every 28 children in the U.S. has a parent behind bars, up from one in 125 just 25 years ago.” Collateral Costs [Pew Charitable Trust report]. 85,611 children in Alabama experienced having a parent incarcerated at some point during childhood, according to Kids Count, 2016-17.
“School-age children of incarcerated parents exhibit school-related problems with peer relationships. As children reach adolescence, suspension and drop-out rates are higher for these children.” (Trice, 1997). (http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/prison2home02/parke-stewart.htm.
“A recent study conducted in New York and Alabama with children of incarcerated parents found: 1) An undermined sense of stability and safety – The sudden removal of a parent from daily life fundamentally undermines a child’s sense of stability and safety; 2) Threats to economic security – Parental incarceration, unsurprisingly, impacts the economic circumstances of children and the extended family; 3) A compromised sense of connectedness and worthiness – Parental incarceration presents significant obstacles to a child’s experience of the kind of unconditional bond with parents needed to lay the foundation for a stable adult life; 4) Loss of attachments and ability to trust – Once the parental presence is removed, many young people have trouble trusting others and letting caring adults into their lives; and 5) No sense of having a place in the world – Children typically experience parental incarceration as a form of rejection; they see the parent’s reckless behavior as having taken precedence over their family,” (Children on the Outside: Voicing the Pain and Human Costs of Parental Incarceration. Allard, Patricia Grene, Judith. Tides Center. Justice Strategies (Project), Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, 2011).
Extended Family uses a “whole family” approach to work with adult and children family members who are dealing with incarceration. We offer programs and services to the adult family members left behind to manage the family, the children who bear the shared stigma of their incarcerated loved ones’ choices, those who are currently incarcerated and are struggling to maintain healthy relationships with their loved ones at home, and those who are recently released from jail or prison and are working to successfully reintegrate into their families and communities. With this approach, we strive to prevent children from entering the juvenile justice system, encourage returned citizens to make better decisions that do not lead to reoffending, and, ultimately, to break the cycle of incarceration in families.
With every goal we reach, we are helping to make our communities safer for everyone and to fulfill our mission, “To offer help and inspire hope,” for every family member who needs us. If you are interested in bringing Extended Family programs to your community, contact us at info@extendedfamilyhelp.org.
