Mentoring Mentoring Prisoner's Children: Prisoner's Children:

A Prevention & A Prevention & Intervention Intervention

Strategy That Strategy That WorksWorks

Kristy A. Stender-Bratcher, M.Ed.Kristy A. Stender-Bratcher, M.Ed.kbratcher@esd101.netkbratcher@esd101.net

509-789-3535509-789-3535

Children of Prisoners: Myth or Children of Prisoners: Myth or FactFact

1.1. Parents should have thought about Parents should have thought about their children before thy committed their children before thy committed the crime. They don’t really deserve the crime. They don’t really deserve their children.their children.

2.2. Children of prisoners are better off Children of prisoners are better off without contact with their parents.without contact with their parents.

3.3. Supporting the relationship between Supporting the relationship between a child and an incarcerated parent is a child and an incarcerated parent is in effect, minimizing the criminal in effect, minimizing the criminal activity of the parent.activity of the parent.

Children of Prisoners: Myth or Children of Prisoners: Myth or FactFact

4. 4. Most parents in prison have a history Most parents in prison have a history of drug and alcohol use, abuse and of drug and alcohol use, abuse and addiction so they were probably not addiction so they were probably not very concerned about their children very concerned about their children before they went to prison.before they went to prison.

5. 5. By the time a parent goes to prison By the time a parent goes to prison or jail it is too late to help them in or jail it is too late to help them in their relationships with their children.their relationships with their children.

Children of Prisoners: Myth or Children of Prisoners: Myth or FactFact

6. 6. When children of prisoners are cared for by When children of prisoners are cared for by family members, the impact of parental family members, the impact of parental incarceration is not as traumatic as if the incarceration is not as traumatic as if the child must live with a non-family member.child must live with a non-family member.

7. 7. In the communities that children of In the communities that children of prisoners often come from, the prisoners often come from, the incarceration of a parent is part of life…a incarceration of a parent is part of life…a right of passage…and has little stigma or right of passage…and has little stigma or trauma associated with it.trauma associated with it.

8. 8. Prison visits will make children too scared Prison visits will make children too scared or it will desensitize them to the punitive or it will desensitize them to the punitive nature of incarceration.nature of incarceration.

Children of Prisoners: The Children of Prisoners: The FactsFacts

• On June 30, 2002 the single day On June 30, 2002 the single day count of incarcerated persons count of incarcerated persons exceeded 2 million for the first exceeded 2 million for the first time.time. “Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2002.” “Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2002.” Bureau Bureau of Justice Statisticsof Justice Statistics. (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of . (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, August 2003)Justice, August 2003)

• United States leads the world in United States leads the world in the number of people the number of people incarcerated at any given time.incarcerated at any given time.

Children of Prisoners: The Children of Prisoners: The FactsFacts

Fill in the BlanksFill in the Blanks• 1 in 1 in adults in the U.S. is under some adults in the U.S. is under some

form of correctional supervision form of correctional supervision (jail, (jail, prison, probation, or parole).prison, probation, or parole).

• That translates into approximately That translates into approximately million children. million children.

• That translates into approximately one That translates into approximately one in in children everyday are directly children everyday are directly impacted by their parents criminal impacted by their parents criminal justice involvement.justice involvement.

Children of Prisoners: The Children of Prisoners: The FactsFacts

• Currently more than 2.3 million Currently more than 2.3 million children have an incarcerated children have an incarcerated parent, up from 500,000 in 1991.parent, up from 500,000 in 1991. “Incarcerated parents and their Children”, “Incarcerated parents and their Children”, Bureau of Justice Statistics BulletinBureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, , (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, August 2000)Justice, August 2000)

• Over the last 15 years, the Over the last 15 years, the number of children of prisoners number of children of prisoners has increased by over 300%.has increased by over 300%.

Children of Prisoners: The FactsChildren of Prisoners: The Facts

Question: How many children of Question: How many children of prisoners will end up in the criminal prisoners will end up in the criminal justice system themselves (either in justice system themselves (either in

adolescence or adult) without adolescence or adult) without positive interventions in their lives?positive interventions in their lives?

Answer:Answer: 70%70%

Children of Prisoners: The FactsChildren of Prisoners: The FactsThe Living ArrangementsThe Living Arrangements

Caregiver Caregiver Relationship Relationship

to Childto Child

Incarcerated Incarcerated MotherMother

Incarcerated Incarcerated FatherFather

Other Natural Other Natural ParentParent

20%20% 87%87%

GrandparentsGrandparents 60%60% 9%9%Foster CareFoster Care 10%10% 2%2%

Other Other Relatives/FrieRelatives/Frie

ndsnds

10%10% 2%2%

TOTALTOTAL 100%100% 100%100%

Children of Prisoners: The FactsChildren of Prisoners: The Facts

How old are these children?How old are these children?

• 58% of the children are younger 58% of the children are younger than ten years old.than ten years old.

• Their average age is 8.Their average age is 8.

Children of Prisoners: A Hidden Children of Prisoners: A Hidden PopulationPopulation

Why?Why?• An overwhelmed child protection systemAn overwhelmed child protection system• Negative public attitudes toward Negative public attitudes toward

incarcerated individuals and their incarcerated individuals and their familiesfamilies

• Poor communication among prisons, Poor communication among prisons, child welfare, schools, and other social child welfare, schools, and other social service agenciesservice agencies

• Shame and stigma associated with Shame and stigma associated with parental incarcerationparental incarceration

• Lack of common databasesLack of common databases

Children of Prisoners: Above All Children of Prisoners: Above All Else…Else…

……mourn the loss of their mourn the loss of their incarcerated parents…incarcerated parents…

… … some mourn the loss of the some mourn the loss of the parent that was available to parent that was available to

care for them…care for them…

……others mourn the loss of the others mourn the loss of the parent that “could have parent that “could have

been”been”

Children of Prisoners: At Most RiskChildren of Prisoners: At Most Risk

CommunityCommunity FamilyFamily SchoolSchool Peer/Peer/IndividualIndividual

Availability of Availability of drugsdrugs

History of the History of the problem behaviorproblem behavior

Lack of Lack of commitmentcommitment

Early initiation Early initiation of the problem of the problem

behaviorbehavior

Availability of Availability of firearmsfirearms

Management Management problemsproblems

Lack of Lack of bondingbonding

Favorable attitudes Favorable attitudes toward the problem toward the problem

behaviorbehavior

Media portrayals Media portrayals of violenceof violence

Exposure to Exposure to criminal activitycriminal activity

Friends who Friends who engage in the engage in the

problem behaviorproblem behavior

Transition and Transition and mobilitymobility

Child maltreatment Child maltreatment Rebelliousness & Rebelliousness & Gang Gang

involvementinvolvement

Low Low neighborhood neighborhood attachment & attachment & community community

disorganizationdisorganization

Favorable attitudes Favorable attitudes & involvement in & involvement in

the problem the problem behaviorbehavior

Academic Academic failure failure

beginning in beginning in late late

elementaryelementary

Early Early persistent persistent anti-social anti-social behaviorbehavior

Extreme Extreme economic economic

deprivationdeprivation

Family ConflictFamily Conflict Constitutional Constitutional factorsfactors

Children of Prisoners: Where are Children of Prisoners: Where are They?They?

Spokane County by Zip CodeSpokane County by Zip Code

99001 - 7099001 - 70 99019 - 2199019 - 21 99030 - 4099030 - 40 99204-23799204-237 99216-17499216-174

99003 - 4099003 - 40 99021 - 5299021 - 52 99031 - 299031 - 2 99205-55899205-558 99217-18399217-183

99004 - 4299004 - 42 99022 - 6199022 - 61 99037 – 6799037 – 67 99206-33899206-338 99218 - 5199218 - 51

99005 - 2499005 - 24 99025 - 2299025 - 22 99201-70299201-702 99207-67299207-672 99223 - 8199223 - 81

99006 - 6799006 - 67 99026 - 3499026 - 34 99202-51099202-510 99208-21599208-215 99224-11899224-118

99009 -2799009 -27 99011 - 499011 - 4 99012 - 399012 - 3 99018 - 299018 - 2 99023 - 299023 - 2

99030 - 499030 - 4 99036 - 399036 - 3 99251 - 299251 - 2 99170 - 499170 - 4 99212-22299212-222

99016 - 6399016 - 63 99027 - 4299027 - 42 99203-10199203-101

Children of Prisoners: Where are Children of Prisoners: Where are They?They?

Lincoln County by Zip CodeLincoln County by Zip Code

99008 - 399008 - 3 99103 - 099103 - 0 99134 - 399134 - 3 99159 - 399159 - 3

99029 - 299029 - 2 99117 - 399117 - 3 99144 - 099144 - 0 99185 - 399185 - 3

99032 - 299032 - 2 99122 - 1399122 - 13 99147 - 099147 - 0

Children of Prisoners: Where are Children of Prisoners: Where are They?They?

Ferry County by Zip CodeFerry County by Zip Code

99107 - 299107 - 2 99138 - 1099138 - 10 99150 - 299150 - 2

99118 - 399118 - 3 99140 - 399140 - 3 99160 - 099160 - 0

99121 - 299121 - 2 99146 - 099146 - 0 99166 - 1499166 - 14

Children of Prisoners: Where are Children of Prisoners: Where are They?They?

Pend Oreille County by Zip CodePend Oreille County by Zip Code

99119 – 1299119 – 12

99139 – 399139 – 3

99152 – 399152 – 3

99153 – 299153 – 2

99156 – 4999156 – 49

99180 - 699180 - 6

Children of Prisoners: Where are Children of Prisoners: Where are They?They?

Stevens County by Zip CodeStevens County by Zip Code

99013 - 1699013 - 16 99114 - 8599114 - 85 99148 – 1999148 – 19

99034 - 299034 - 2 99126 - 499126 - 4 99151 - 499151 - 4

99040 - 699040 - 6 99129 - 699129 - 6 99157 - 1299157 - 12

99101 - 1299101 - 12 99131 - 299131 - 2 99167 - 299167 - 2

99109 - 2599109 - 25 99137 - 499137 - 4 99173 - 1699173 - 16

99110 - 799110 - 7 99141 - 3699141 - 36 99181 - 1399181 - 13

Mentoring: A Prevention & Mentoring: A Prevention & Intervention Strategy That WorksIntervention Strategy That Works

Children of PrisonersChildren of Prisoners

Now become…Now become…

CHILDREN OF PROMISE!CHILDREN OF PROMISE!

Mentoring: A Prevention & Mentoring: A Prevention & Intervention Strategy That WorksIntervention Strategy That Works

The Mentoring Model is:The Mentoring Model is: • Researched BasedResearched Based• Proven & EffectiveProven & Effective• One-to-OneOne-to-One• Community-Based & Site-BasedCommunity-Based & Site-Based• One Hour a WeekOne Hour a Week • Minimum of 9 MonthsMinimum of 9 Months• www.mentoring.org www.mentoring.org

Research Facts (Dept. of Justice; PPV)Research Facts (Dept. of Justice; PPV)

• Higher levels of self-confidence – 64%Higher levels of self-confidence – 64%• More positive attitudes towards school – 64%More positive attitudes towards school – 64%• Less likely to skip school – 52%Less likely to skip school – 52%• Better relationships – 60% of youth towards Better relationships – 60% of youth towards

adults; 56% of youth to peeradults; 56% of youth to peer• Less likely to begin using illegal drugs – 46%Less likely to begin using illegal drugs – 46%• Increased academic performanceIncreased academic performance

Mentoring: A Intervention Mentoring: A Intervention Strategy That WorksStrategy That Works

Mentoring vs. Protective Factors: Mentoring vs. Protective Factors: Compare & ContrastCompare & Contrast

Protective Factors ModelProtective Factors Model Research Research FactsFacts• Nurtures individual Nurtures individual

characteristicscharacteristics• Increases bonding to Increases bonding to

families, schools, families, schools, communities and peer communities and peer groupsgroups

• Provides opportunitiesProvides opportunities• Provides skillsProvides skills• Provides recognitionProvides recognition

• Higher levels of self-Higher levels of self-confidence – confidence – 64%64%

• More positive attitudes More positive attitudes towards school – towards school – 64%64%

• Better relationships – Better relationships – 60%60% of youth towards adults; of youth towards adults; 56%56% of youth to peer of youth to peer

• Less likely to skip school – Less likely to skip school – 52%52%

• Less likely to begin using Less likely to begin using illegal drugs – illegal drugs – 46%46%

• IncreasedIncreased academic academic performanceperformance

Mentoring Children of Mentoring Children of Promise Promise

is a collaborative effort byis a collaborative effort by

Children of Promise’s Children of Promise’s Supportive PartnerSupportive Partner

Children of PromiseChildren of Promise

Children of PromiseChildren of Promise

Children of PromiseChildren of Promise