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Mentoring Prisoner's Children: A Prevention & Intervention Strategy That Works Kristy A. Stender-Bratcher, M.Ed. kbratcher@esd101.net 509-789-3535. Children of Prisoners: Myth or Fact.
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Mentoring Prisoner's Children: A Prevention & Intervention Strategy That WorksKristy A. Stender-Bratcher, M.Ed.kbratcher@esd101.net509-789-3535
Children of Prisoners: Myth or Fact • Parents should have thought about their children before thy committed the crime. They don’t really deserve their children. • Children of prisoners are better off without contact with their parents. • Supporting the relationship between a child and an incarcerated parent is in effect, minimizing the criminal activity of the parent.
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.
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 life…a right of passage…and 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.
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.
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.
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%.
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%
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.
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
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”
Spokane County by Zip Code Children of Prisoners: Where are They?
Lincoln County by Zip Code Children of Prisoners: Where are They?
Ferry County by Zip Code Children of Prisoners: Where are They?
Pend Oreille County by Zip Code Children of Prisoners: Where are They?
Stevens County by Zip Code Children of Prisoners: Where are They?
Mentoring: A Prevention & Intervention Strategy That Works Children of Prisoners Now become… CHILDREN OF PROMISE!
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
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
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 Mentoring vs. Protective Factors: Compare & ContrastProtective Factors Model Research Facts
