Mentoring Prisoner's Children: A Prevention

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Mentoring Prisoner's Children A Prevention
Intervention Strategy That WorksKristy A.
Stender-Bratcher, M.Ed.kbratcher_at_esd101.net509-7
89-3535
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Children of Prisoners Myth or Fact

1. Parents should have thought about their children
   before thy committed the crime. They dont really
   deserve their children.
2. Children of prisoners are better off without
   contact with their parents.
3. Supporting the relationship between a child and
   an incarcerated parent is in effect, minimizing
   the criminal activity of the parent.

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Children of Prisoners Myth or Fact

• 4. Most parents in prison have a history of drug
  and alcohol use, abuse and addiction so they were
  probably not very concerned about their children
  before they went to prison.
• 5. By the time a parent goes to prison or jail it
  is too late to help them in their relationships
  with their children.

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Children of Prisoners Myth or Fact

• 6. When children of prisoners are cared for by
  family members, the impact of parental
  incarceration is not as traumatic as if the child
  must live with a non-family member.
• 7. In the communities that children of prisoners
  often come from, the incarceration of a parent is
  part of lifea right of passageand has little
  stigma or trauma associated with it.
• 8. Prison visits will make children too scared or
  it will desensitize them to the punitive nature
  of incarceration.

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Children of Prisoners The Facts

• On June 30, 2002 the single day count of
  incarcerated persons exceeded 2 million for the
  first time. Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear
  2002. Bureau of Justice Statistics. (Washington,
  DC U.S. Department of Justice, August 2003)
• United States leads the world in the number of
  people incarcerated at any given time.

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Children of Prisoners The Facts

• Fill in the Blanks
• 1 in adults in the U.S. is under some form of
  correctional supervision (jail, prison,
  probation, or parole).
• That translates into approximately million
  children.
• That translates into approximately one in
  children everyday are directly impacted by their
  parents criminal justice involvement.

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Children of Prisoners The Facts

• Currently more than 2.3 million children have an
  incarcerated parent, up from 500,000 in 1991.
  Incarcerated parents and their Children, Bureau
  of Justice Statistics Bulletin, (Washington, DC
  U.S. Department of Justice, August 2000)
• Over the last 15 years, the number of children of
  prisoners has increased by over 300.

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Children of Prisoners The Facts

• Question How many children of prisoners will end
  up in the criminal justice system themselves
  (either in adolescence or adult) without positive
  interventions in their lives?
• Answer 70

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Children of Prisoners The FactsThe Living
Arrangements
Caregiver Relationship to Child Incarcerated Mother Incarcerated Father
Other Natural Parent 20 87
Grandparents 60 9
Foster Care 10 2
Other Relatives/Friends 10 2
TOTAL 100 100
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Children of Prisoners The Facts

• How old are these children?
• 58 of the children are younger than ten years
  old.
• Their average age is 8.

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Children of Prisoners A Hidden Population

• Why?
• An overwhelmed child protection system
• Negative public attitudes toward incarcerated
  individuals and their families
• Poor communication among prisons, child welfare,
  schools, and other social service agencies
• Shame and stigma associated with parental
  incarceration
• Lack of common databases

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Children of Prisoners Above All Else

• mourn the loss of their incarcerated parents
• some mourn the loss of the parent that was
  available to care for them
• others mourn the loss of the parent that could
  have been

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Children of Prisoners At Most Risk
Community Family School Peer/Individual
Availability of drugs History of the problem behavior Lack of commitment Early initiation of the problem behavior
Availability of firearms Management problems Lack of bonding Favorable attitudes toward the problem behavior
Media portrayals of violence Exposure to criminal activity Friends who engage in the problem behavior
Transition and mobility Child maltreatment Rebelliousness Gang involvement
Low neighborhood attachment community disorganization Favorable attitudes involvement in the problem behavior Academic failure beginning in late elementary Early persistent anti-social behavior
Extreme economic deprivation Family Conflict Constitutional factors
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Children of Prisoners Where are They?

• Spokane County by Zip Code

99001 - 70 99019 - 21 99030 - 40 99204-237 99216-174
99003 - 40 99021 - 52 99031 - 2 99205-558 99217-183
99004 - 42 99022 - 61 99037 67 99206-338 99218 - 51
99005 - 24 99025 - 22 99201-702 99207-672 99223 - 81
99006 - 67 99026 - 34 99202-510 99208-215 99224-118
99009 -27 99011 - 4 99012 - 3 99018 - 2 99023 - 2
99030 - 4 99036 - 3 99251 - 2 99170 - 4 99212-222
99016 - 63 99027 - 42 99203-101
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Children of Prisoners Where are They?

• Lincoln County by Zip Code

99008 - 3 99103 - 0 99134 - 3 99159 - 3
99029 - 2 99117 - 3 99144 - 0 99185 - 3
99032 - 2 99122 - 13 99147 - 0
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Children of Prisoners Where are They?

• Ferry County by Zip Code

99107 - 2 99138 - 10 99150 - 2
99118 - 3 99140 - 3 99160 - 0
99121 - 2 99146 - 0 99166 - 14
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Children of Prisoners Where are They?

• Pend Oreille County by Zip Code

99119 12
99139 3
99152 3
99153 2
99156 49
99180 - 6
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Children of Prisoners Where are They?

• Stevens County by Zip Code

99013 - 16 99114 - 85 99148 19
99034 - 2 99126 - 4 99151 - 4
99040 - 6 99129 - 6 99157 - 12
99101 - 12 99131 - 2 99167 - 2
99109 - 25 99137 - 4 99173 - 16
99110 - 7 99141 - 36 99181 - 13
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Mentoring A Prevention Intervention Strategy
That Works

• Children of Prisoners
• Now become
• CHILDREN OF PROMISE!

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Mentoring A Prevention Intervention Strategy
That Works

• The Mentoring Model is
• Researched Based
• Proven Effective
• One-to-One
• Community-Based Site-Based
• One Hour a Week
• Minimum of 9 Months
• www.mentoring.org

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Mentoring A Intervention Strategy That Works

• Research Facts (Dept. of Justice PPV)
• Higher levels of self-confidence 64
• More positive attitudes towards school 64
• Less likely to skip school 52
• Better relationships 60 of youth towards
  adults 56 of youth to peer
• Less likely to begin using illegal drugs 46
• Increased academic performance

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Mentoring vs. Protective Factors Compare
Contrast Protective Factors Model Research
Facts

• Nurtures individual characteristics
• Increases bonding to families, schools,
  communities and peer groups
• Provides opportunities
• Provides skills
• Provides recognition

• Higher levels of self-confidence 64
• More positive attitudes towards school 64
• Better relationships 60 of youth towards
  adults 56 of youth to peer
• Less likely to skip school 52
• Less likely to begin using illegal drugs 46
• Increased academic performance

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Mentoring Children of Promise is a collaborative
effort by
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Children of Promises Supportive Partner
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Children of Promise
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Children of Promise
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Children of Promise