Children of Incarcerated Parents
Children of Incarcerated Parents
Children of Incarcerated Parents
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I. Introduction<br />
<strong>Children</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Incarcerated</strong> <strong>Parents</strong><br />
The number <strong>of</strong> children with<br />
incarcerated parents has increased over<br />
the past 25 years. 1 in every 28 children<br />
children <strong>of</strong> incarcerated parents are<br />
comparable to that <strong>of</strong> children who have<br />
lost their parent due to death or<br />
(3.6 percent) has a parent<br />
incarcerated, two-thirds <strong>of</strong> these parents<br />
are incarcerated for non-violent<br />
<strong>of</strong>fenses. Although there are many<br />
children who feel as though they have<br />
experienced loss due to their parents<br />
being in prison, there are more<br />
instances where black and Latino<br />
children are forced to live with the<br />
consequences <strong>of</strong> their parent's actions.<br />
Compared to the 1 in 110 white children<br />
who have at least one parent<br />
incarcerated, 1 in 15 black children and<br />
1 in 41 Hispanic children have a parent<br />
who is incarcerated. The mental effects<br />
divorce. These children are more likely<br />
to experience an increased risk for<br />
mental health problems compared to<br />
other children their age. The mental<br />
health problems are connected to the<br />
social stigma that they encounter when<br />
their parents are arrested, or when their<br />
peers find out that <strong>of</strong> their parent’s<br />
incarceration. Because <strong>of</strong> this fear that<br />
children will experience mental<br />
disparities, some parents and caregivers<br />
hide their incarceration from the children<br />
by telling them that the parent is on<br />
vacation or that they went away to<br />
college. These lies foster an<br />
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