beyond the bars ii who are the children of incarcerated parents? charlene wear simmons, ph.d. acting...
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Beyond the Bars II
Who Are the Children of Incarcerated Parents?
Charlene Wear Simmons, Ph.D.Acting Interim Director
September 23, 2008
C A L I F O R N I A R E S E A R C H B U R E A U
2
Presentation Outline
• Data about incarcerated parents and their children
• Focus on parental arrest
• Impact on children
• Local partnerships to ensure that children are safe and cared for by appropriate caregivers.
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Who is Responsible for the Safety and Well-being of the Children?
• Few law enforcement agencies require officers to ask about children at the time of parental arrest
• Social welfare agencies may not respond to a parent’s arrest, or know how to locate a parent in prison or arrange for a family visit.
• Children can fall through the cracks, be traumatized and left in unsafe situations.
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Children’s Stories
• Amanda: “My sister is 11. It (Mother’s arrest) affects her so much, she’s gone to mental hospitals, she’s tried to kill herself.”
• Dave: “I was 9 when my mom got arrested. The police came and took her…and just left us here.”
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Rising Incarceration Rate
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More Adults Under Correctional Supervision
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California Adult Prisoners, 2008
Parole 33%
Jail 22%
Prison 45%
Source: Ca.Dept. Corrections & Rehabilitation
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California State Prisons
• Cost: $9.7 billion for prisoners and parolees in Fiscal Year 2007-08
• Average sentence: 4 years
• Average time served: 2 years
• Average prisoner’s reading level: 7th grade
• 69% from So. Cal, 11% Bay Area, 20% rest of state.
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Most CA State Prisoners are Male
Female7%
Male93%
Source: Ca Dept. Corrections & Rehabilitation, 2008
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Prison/Jail is a Revolving Door
• Nearly 650,000 prisoners are released yearly from state and federal prisons
• Over 50% nationwide are in legal trouble within 3 years
• In CA, 2/3 of state prisoners fail parole and are returned to prison
• Children experience repeated trauma of arrest and separation
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Parental Problems Affect Children
Major Problems of Parents Incarcerated in State Prisons by Gender, 2004
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
SubstanceAbuse
MentalHealth
Homeless Phy/SexualAbuse
Incarcerated Mothers
Incarcerated Fathers
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Many Children Are AffectedParents in State & Federal Prisons &
Their Minor Children
Adult Prisoners
Minor Children
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1,800,000
1991 1997 1999 2004 2007
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008
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• Around 9% of CA children have a parent in prison, jail, on parole or probation
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Minority Kids are Over-Represented
Ethnicity of Minor Children with Parents in State and Federal
Prison, 2007
White30%
Black48%
Hispanic22%
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008
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Children of Inmates Are Young
Age of Children with Incarcerated Parents
2%
20%
36%
28%
14%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Under 1 1-4 5-9 10-14 15-17Years Old
Perc
en
t
Source: Urban Institute, 2003
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Parent and Grandparent Caregivers
Current Caregivers of Children with Parents in State Prison, 2004
84%
15%
6%3% 3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Other Parent Grandparent OtherRelatives
Foster Care Friends
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008
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Contact Helps Parents and Children• 75% parents incarcerated in state prisons report
some contact with their children 70% have received a letter
• Over half received a phone call • 42% had a personal visit
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Parental Arrest Affects the Most Children
• 1 in 5 children
whose mother is
arrested witnesses
the event, the others
imagine
Arrest
Prison and Parole
Jail and Probation
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The Children Can Be “Invisible” When Parents are Arrested
• Law enforcement officers are focused on making a safe arrest, may leave the children unattended
• Arrested parents may not mention their children for fear of involving child welfare and having their parental rights terminated
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Children May be Left Without Care or in Unsafe Situations
• “Dave” I was nine when my mom got arrested. The police
came and took her…and just left us here. For two or three weeks, I took care of my one-year-old brother and myself…[My Mom’s] friend across the street…figured out something was wrong.. [and] called CPS…”
• Megan Mendez, left at age 3 with abusive neighbors in Modesto by her arrested mother, was murdered
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Children Experience Higher Rates of Mental Health Problems
• Separation and attachment disorders
• Developmental regression
• Depression and withdrawal
• Shame due to stigma
• Grief at loss of parent, abandonment
• Anxiety and hyper-arousal
• Trauma
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Significant Behavioral Impacts Absent Positive Intervention
• Physical aggression
• Attention disorder
• Difficulty sleeping
• Acting out inappropriately
• Anti-social behavior
• Violent, even delinquent behavior
• Substance abuse
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Potential Negative Impacts on School Performance
• Attention Deficit
• Learning Disabilities
• Diminished academic performance
• Aggression or withdrawal due to stigma
• Low level of educational attainment
• Truancy
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Intergeneration Problems Point to Need for Positive Intervention
• A parental history of criminality is a strong risk factor for juvenile delinquency
• Half of parents incarcerated in state prisons have an incarcerated relative (most often a brother or father)
• One third of parents in prison report that their parents abused drugs or alcohol
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Criminal Justice and Child Welfare Intervene in the same Families
• Nationally, the criminal justice system has intervened in at least 1 in 3 families with which child welfare agencies have had contact.
• 25% dependent children in San Francisco are impacted by parental incarceration
• Criminal Justice and Child Welfare Agencies Need to Partner for the Children
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Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights
• 1. I have the right TO BE KEPT SAFE AND INFORMED AT THE TIME OF MY PARENT’S ARREST.
• 3. I have the right TO BE WELL CARED FOR IN MY PARENT’S ABSENCE.
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