Pubdate: Tue, 26 Apr 2016
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2016 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Andrea K. McDaniels, Baltimore Sun
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

STUDY DETAILS JAILED PARENTS' EFFECTS ON FAMILIES

Communities should be strengthened by "minimizing the economic and 
social effects of incarceration," the report's authors write.

Nearly 6 percent of children in Maryland have a parent in prison or 
jail, which makes it more likely that they will struggle 
academically, live in poverty, and have other social or psychological 
problems that could plague them for life.

These are the findings of a new report by the Annie E. Casey 
Foundation about the damaging ripple effects of incarceration on 
families. The report, "A Shared Sentence," provides strong evidence 
of the unintended consequences of imprisoning convicts, and the costs 
borne by children, families and communities.

"In the most basic sense we seem to forget that there are people that 
are left behind," said Scot Spencer, associate director for advocacy 
and influence at the Casey Foundation.

For the 82,000 children in Maryland with a parent locked up, that 
means an unstable family environment in which they aren't bonding, 
sometimes during the most important time of their lives.

Incarceration can lead to loss of income for the affected families 
and throw some further into the poverty that many are already in, 
researchers found. The experience also causes stress equivalent to 
that sparked by domestic abuse and divorce, making it hard for both 
children and parents who are left at home to cope.

New problems can arise once the incarcerated parent leaves prison and 
returns home, the researchers found. Transitioning back into society 
and a family is often complicated. Finding jobs can be difficult for 
those with criminal records.

"For children and families, incarceration is not a one-time event, 
but a daily reality that lasts well beyond a jail sentence or prison 
term," the report's authors wrote.

Conservative estimates are that 5.1 million youths nationwide have 
had a parent in jail at some point in life. The percentage of 
children with incarcerated parents varies by state, from 3 percent in 
New Jersey to 13 percent in Kentucky, according to the Casey report.

There are about 21,500 inmates in the Maryland state prison system, 
according to the Department of Public Safety and Correctional 
Services. People from Baltimore make up one-third of the state's 
prison population.

Three-quarters of incarcerated Baltimoreans come from 25 communities, 
where 47 percent of the residents are unemployed, according to the 
Governor's Office for Children.

The office has made it a priority to find ways to better address the 
impact of incarceration on children and families. The office has 
found that communities with high rates of incarceration also have 
high rates of unemployment, low incomes and people receiving public assistance.

These communities also have large high school dropout rates and lower 
life expectancy rates.

The Family League of Baltimore, with support from the Governor's 
Office of Children, is planning a conference this summer on helping 
families dealing with incarceration.

The group describes the high cost of incarceration to children as an 
adverse childhood experience.

Organizers plan to bring together residents, community leaders and 
others to discuss solutions. Johns Hopkins University's Urban Health 
Institute is scheduled to present research on parental incarceration 
and its effects on children, families, and communities.

"We will really delve into this issue to look at the implications and 
challenges of incarceration on children and families and to help have 
a public conversation about how to work toward solutions," said Amy 
Bernstein, director of external relations at the Family League.

The Casey Foundation offers several recommendations, including 
setting up programs and support systems to ensure that families get 
the financial and emotional support they need.

Casey says particular attention should be paid to making sure 
children keep a strong bond with the incarcerated parent. The 
foundation also recommends that more be done to help ex-offenders 
find employment once they leave prison, and supports ban-the-box 
policies, which prohibit employers from asking about a job 
candidate's criminal history at the start of the application process.

Communities should be strengthened by "minimizing the economic and 
social effects of incarceration," the report's authors write. This 
can be done by increasing access to affordable housing, jobs, good 
schools and other resources.

Some work is already being done on incarceration, but social justice 
advocates say much more can be done.

Bon Secours Community Works in West Baltimore runs a program that 
helps ex-offenders transition back into society.

Anees Abdul Rahim, the program's reentry coordinator, says families 
often struggle with reuniting after an incarceration. The wife or 
female partner may have matured faster in the years that her husband 
or boyfriend was imprisoned. The children might not respect the 
authority of the parent who has returned home.

"Incarceration can really break down the family in a psychological 
and emotional way that really makes it almost impossible to rebuild," 
Rahim said. "You need programs to help people make it through."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom