This Best Practices Tool-Kit aims to systematically identify empirical evidence regarding prison programs and practices for incarcerated parents and their children. It highlights several practices and program strategies that are proven, promising or exemplary best practices and provides references for more extensive reading, if desired. The objective of the tool kit is to offer a sound evidence base that will better inform policymakers, practitioners and researchers on prison programs and practices geared toward building the parental skills of incarcerated parents. (Author abstract)
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Journal Article Using longitudinal data from a sample of 451 families with a child in eighth grade at the time of study, three research questions have been addressed: First, the study explored the ways in which mothers and fathers differ with regard to four parenting styles. Second, the study examined the manner in which individual parenting styles combine to form family parenting styles. Finally, the study investigated the extent to which these various styles are related to delinquency, depression, and school commitment for adolescents. Regardless of reporter, the most common family parenting styles are…
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Journal Article This paper highlights a number of promising services and supports for incarcerated parents and recommends what attorneys representing or working with incarcerated parents and their children can do to minimize harm to children. (Author abstract)
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This newsletter provides information on the number of children with incarcerated parents, the impact of the incarceration, and intervention strategies. It begins with statistics on the incidence of children with incarcerated parents and a discussion of the risks children face when their parents are incarcerated. Feelings children experience are described, as well as factors that promote resiliency. Information is then provided on goals for interventions and supports for children whose parents are incarcerated. Recommended practices are discussed for arrest practices, child placement,…
This illustrated children's book tells the story of Tommy, a boy who has a father in prison for drug abuse. It discusses the number of children with parents in prison, Tommy's worry that his father will forget about him, and feelings of embarrassment Tommy has and concerns about what other children will think. Tommy is reassured by his mother that it is not his fault that his father used drugs and is in prison.
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Training Materials Unfortunately, many men behind bars are fathers in name only. This workbook will help to change this. Being a parent is a huge responsibility and this workbook aims to help incarcerated fathers understand this fact and to give them the guidance they need to meet the challenges that accompany being a dad. The job of a father is constantly changing. The author examines the differences of being a father of a small child as opposed to a teenager. This practical workbook looks at such topics as communication, discipline, reunification and more. This is a hands-on resource that should be given to…
Training Materials, Book
It is your job to help the offender prepare themselves for life on the outside. You may think this means helping them find a job or avoiding substance abuse issues. It certainly does, but another important area that needs to be addressed is the offender's family life. More specifically, they must take responsibility for their children. This manual, along with the workbook, will help you to prepare fathers for the tremendous responsibility that accompanies parenthood. This manual includes several reproducible worksheets and a participant certificate that can be given to all participants upon…
We examine the consequences of incarceration for non-resident White, Latino, and African American fathers' contact with children and their formal and informal child support agreements. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we found that fathers' current incarceration presented serious obstacles to maintaining contact with children and interfered with the establishment of informal financial support agreements with mothers. Recent and past incarceration were strongly and negatively associated with how often non-Latino White fathers saw their children, while having a…
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Journal Article Key demographics were recently released from a study of reentry programs under the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) -- a Federal effort to help States use their correctional resources to reduce recidivism. Aimed at increasing public safety, SVORI is an unprecedented national response to the criminal justice, employment, education, health, and housing challenges that adult and juvenile offenders face when they return to the community. This article summarizes the demographics and responses of the men who participated in the 5-year SVORI program.
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Journal Article Background: Children of prisoners are at increased risk of impaired health, behavioural problems and substance misuse; however, the causal pathways to these problems are unclear. Under some circumstances, parental imprisonment may result in improved outcomes for the child. This study investigates the impact of paternal arrest and imprisonment on child behaviour and substance use, as a function of child gender, and in the context of known social and familial risk factors. Methods: Longitudinal analysis of an Australian birth cohort (N ¼ 2,399) recruited 1981-83, with child outcomes measured at…
