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Incarcerated Parents Essay

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Incarcerated Parents Essay
Children of Incarcerated Parents
Ryan Schirmer
BSHS 301
September 15th 2010
Instructor Melissa Williams

Children of Incarcerated Parents The number of children growing up in households with incarcerated parents is growing rapidly and so are the children’s unique developmental needs. Nationwide, more than 2 million children have a parent who is incarcerated in state and federal prisions and local jails (US Department of Justice, 2007). These number continue to grow. Currently 1in 142 adults in the United States is in prision or jail (Lee, 2007). There are more prisioners than farmers currently in the United States (Calhoon, Goode, & Scott, 2005).
Approximately 1 in 32 adults in the United Stated is under some form of correctional …show more content…
When it comes to meeting the needs of these children and their non-incarcerated parents as well as addressing parenting and family needs of parents in prision are issues that come to the attention of social workers in multiple fields of practice (www.socialworkpolicy.org). Not one specific department of social work is dedicated to children of incarcerated parents. These children are passed off to numerous branches such as; mental health, child development, schools juvenile justice, criminal justice, child welfare and healthcare departments. There are multiple concerns when trying to fully understand the negative implacations that can come about when growing up in a family with a parent involved in the prison system. Because of this, the main concern includes the all around well-being of the child’s living situation. Compared to other children receiving child welfare services, children with incarcerated parents have needs that are not easily met. When placed in foster care, they also may be less likely to achieve permancy through reunification. Although the reasons why have not yet been identified; age, race, mental health, disability, family structure and placement
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