Prison Programs and Services for Incarcerated Parents and Their Underage Children: Results From a National Survey of Correctional Facilities

Abstract

In 2007, approximately 810,000 men and women in state and federal prisons were parents to more than 1.7 million children under the age of 18, one third of whom will turn 18 while their parent(s) is incarcerated. Parental incarceration increases the risk that children will experience later behavioral and emotional problems, have troubles in school, and become involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Parenting-related prison programming offers some promise in lessening the negative consequences of parental incarceration, both for children and the incarcerated parent. This study presents the results from a national survey of wardens from male and female correctional facilities to measure the prevalence of programs and services for incarcerated parents and their underage children.