Reducing the Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children, Families, and Communities:

Surveying State Initiatives: Presenting Options and Solutions

This initiative is coordinated by staff of the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated (NRCCFI), the Connecticut Children with Incarcerated Parents (CTCIP) Initiative, The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, and The Bay Area Children with Incarcerated Parents Partnership (BACIPP). The goal of this project is to develop guidance for U.S. states and territories on how to provide more support for children and their caregivers who are impacted by the incarceration or justice-involvement of family members.

The first step in the process was to conduct a survey of current state level policy and practice concerning children with incarcerated parents. This survey of all US states and territories was completed in November and we will continue to organize and clarify our findings in order to identify statewide policies, practices, initiatives and legislation focused on reducing the impact of parental incarceration on children and families. Our findings, effective and promising strategies from different states and territories as well as recommendations for implementation are scheduled for publication in  Fall 2018.