Nearly half (47%) of incarcerated people in the United States are parents, impacting 2.7 million children at any given time. Prior to their incarceration, about 52% of these children resided with thei..
Nearly half (47%) of incarcerated people in the United States are parents, impacting 2.7 million children at any given time. Prior to their incarceration, about 52% of these children resided with their mother, while 40% lived with their fathers. The rate of incarcerated mothers of multiple children has continued to rise over the past couple of decades. The impact of incarceration produces secondary consequences, including negative impacts on the incarcerated person’s child(ren). In fact, having an incarcerated parent is one of the known Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and ACEs are directly related to later negative life outcomes (e.g., worsened health conditions and system involvement). Additional consequences for these youth include increased risk of substance misuse, poor school attainment, and ongoing trauma.
