Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/DianaBrazzell

The Urban Institute partnered with local research organizations in three sites to learn more about children of incarcerated parents through the merging and analysis of local and state level criminal justice and human services data. The purpose of the project was to better understand the experiences and needs of children of incarcerated parents in each locality and to explore the involvement of affected families with the criminal justice, child welfare, and social welfare systems. This report presents findings from the sites and lessons learned regarding the merging and analysis of administrative data on this population.

In order to better understand the experiences and needs of children with incarcerated parents, Urban Institute researchers sought the perspectives of mentors who work closely with these children. In partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations in Baltimore, Maryland; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Washington, D.C., researchers convened seven focus groups with mentors of children with incarcerated parents. Discussions focused on the children’s living situations, relationships with their incarcerated parents and other family members, and emotional and behavioral outcomes. Findings reveal considerable variation within this population, including significant differences in the experiences of children with incarcerated mothers and those with incarcerated fathers.

Over 1.5 million children in this country currently have one or both of their parents incarcerated. In addition to the trauma of this loss, these children face tremendous uncertainty in their living arrangements, relationships with loved ones, and family financial stability. Short-term coping responses and heavy stigma are common, both of which may lead to long-term emotional and behavioral challenges. This report reviews the current research on children with incarcerated parents and offers recommendations on how to reduce the negative impact of parental incarceration, with particular attention to the role of supportive relationships with the incarcerated parent and other adults.

This report summarizes findings from a process and impact evaluation of two of Florida's Faith- and Character-based Institutions (FCBIs). The FCBI model is designed to rehabilitate adult prisoners by offering a vast array of faith and self betterment programs that are delivered by community volunteers. The UI research team gathered and analyzed data from: (1) one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with facility administrators, correctional officers, program staff, chaplains, and volunteers; (2) focus groups with inmates housed in the FCBIs; (3) administrative data on FCBI and general population inmates; (4) official documents; and (5) telephone and email communications with state corrections officials.

This brief is designed to equip organizations with strategies for effectively disseminating local reentry-related mapping and analysis findings and engaging community members on the topic of reentry. The brief outlines key elements of the process, including enlisting the support and involvement of local stakeholders, developing a diverse and complementary set of dissemination methods, and presenting research findings strategically to create a foundation for positive community action. The recommendations offered are based on the experiences of the fourteen Reentry Mapping Network (RMN) sites.

This guidebook provides information on how interested parties can understand and address prisoner reentry at the local level through mapping and data analysis. The examples and guidance within the report are derived from the experiences of the Reentry Mapping Network (RMN), a collaborative effort by community-based organizations and the Urban Institute designed to create community change through the mapping and analysis of neighborhood-level data on prisoner reentry. This guidebook outlines the concepts and methods underlying the RMN and the lessons learned by RMN partners so that other jurisdictions can learn from these experiences and create more successful reentry strategies in their own communities.

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