HOME > NEWS AND EVENTS
7.3 Million Children Currently Have a Parent Involved in the Criminal Justice System; Community Renewal Society Launches Campaign to Reveal and Mend Gaps in Treatment and Services
Media Contacts:
Laurie Glenn-Gista, Think Inc.
773.704.7246
April 13, 2007 - CHICAGO - Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, Jr., State Representative Constance Howard, Congressman Danny Davis, the Woods Fund of Chicago and more than two hundred key community leaders and policy makers today joined the Community Renewal Society to launch the organization's Children of the Incarcerated campaign. During his remarks at the campaign's launch event, Senate President Jones called for "continued discussions, including a hearing this summer," related to children with incarcerated parents.
"Research shows that, without intervention, a large percentage of children with parents involved in the criminal justice system are themselves likely to end up in the system," said President Jones. "This campaign is clearly about saving lives. There is also a financial incentive to end this cycle of intergenerational incarceration. Currently, the state pays nearly $70,000 per year to incarcerate a minor and about $22,000 per year to incarcerate an adult. To save dollars, we need to cut off the state's supply of inmates and prisoners at one of its key sources."
Community Renewal's 18-month Children of the Incarcerated campaign combines public education, civic engagement and direct advocacy and will lead the region in developing public policy initiatives that address the needs of children with incarcerated parents.
"This is a national epidemic," said Rev. Calvin S. Morris, Ph.D., Executive Director, Community Renewal Society. "There are an estimated 7.3 million children with a parent currently involved in the criminal justice system. As a society we can no longer afford to ignore the plight of the children and families who are left alone to navigate the complex and often cold world of the criminal justice system."
To launch the campaign, Community Renewal's award-winning newsmagazines, The Chicago Reporter and The Chicago Reporter, produced a series of investigative reports that explored the gaps in information on this vulnerable population, as well as gaps in treatment and services available to children and families grappling with this issue. Both publications reveal that there is no system for tracking children with incarcerated parents; neither prisons nor schools document this information.
"Without concrete data on these children, it is difficult to recommend a comprehensive approach for breaking this cycle," said Morris. " In 1975, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System began recording data from car accidents around the country. Since then, that data has been used to develop important safety improvements on roads and successful accident prevention strategies. As a result, auto accidents have decreased. A similar system, one that tracks children with parents involved in the criminal justice system, is needed."
Other key findings include:
As of Aug. 9, 2006, there were more than 90,000 children with a parent in prison or on parole in Illinois. However, there could be as many as 340,000 children who've had a parent in prison in Illinois at some point since 1980.
Nearly all of the social service providers and experts surveyed believe children with incarcerated parents should receive counseling. However, only 16 percent of inmates surveyed say their children are, in fact, receiving counseling or therapy.
Almost 90 percent of service providers and experts believe it is critical to advocate for the child(ren) while their parents are being sentenced. Yet, less than 20 percent of providers actually advocate for children during sentencing.
Chicago Public School social workers would like to refer children with parents in prison to mentoring programs and organizations that help kids and parents stay in touch, but few know where to find such services or if they even exist.
Community Renewal's Civic Action Network, a regional alliance of 70 faith communities, is working closely with national groups around this issue, including Children of Prisoners, Children of Promise, a group of advocacy organizations committed to increasing awareness of the needs of children of incarcerated parents. In partnership, Community Renewal will mobilize its base to shed light on the needs of children who experience the pain of parental incarceration. Combining data with advocacy, Civic Action will release the results of a statewide survey of resident's attitudes and perceptions about children with incarcerated parents and intergenerational incarceration in late spring 2007.
"We have an opportunity to prevent the unnecessary," said Morris. "Illinois, a leader in criminal justice reform, is the perfect location to tackle this issue. These reports are just the beginning of what we and our partners are sure will become an important moment for building a progressive voice on this essential incarceration issue."
Community Renewal Society is a progressive, faith-based organization that works to eliminate race and class barriers. Founded in 1882, Community Renewal informs, organizes and trains both communities and individuals to advocate for social and economic justice. Catalyst Chicago is an independent publication created to document, analyze, and support improvement efforts in Chicago's public schools. The Chicago Reporter is an investigative publication that identifies, analyzes, and reports on the social, economic, and political issues of metropolitan Chicago with a focus on race and poverty. Community Renewal Society publishes both.
State Senate President Emil Jones Calls for Continued Discussions on Issues Regarding Children with Incarcerated Parents
May 21 5:13 PM7.3 Million Children Currently Have a Parent Involved in the Criminal Justice System; Community Renewal Society Launches Campaign to Reveal and Mend Gaps in Treatment and Services
Media Contacts:
Laurie Glenn-Gista, Think Inc.
773.704.7246
April 13, 2007 - CHICAGO - Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, Jr., State Representative Constance Howard, Congressman Danny Davis, the Woods Fund of Chicago and more than two hundred key community leaders and policy makers today joined the Community Renewal Society to launch the organization's Children of the Incarcerated campaign. During his remarks at the campaign's launch event, Senate President Jones called for "continued discussions, including a hearing this summer," related to children with incarcerated parents.
"Research shows that, without intervention, a large percentage of children with parents involved in the criminal justice system are themselves likely to end up in the system," said President Jones. "This campaign is clearly about saving lives. There is also a financial incentive to end this cycle of intergenerational incarceration. Currently, the state pays nearly $70,000 per year to incarcerate a minor and about $22,000 per year to incarcerate an adult. To save dollars, we need to cut off the state's supply of inmates and prisoners at one of its key sources."
Community Renewal's 18-month Children of the Incarcerated campaign combines public education, civic engagement and direct advocacy and will lead the region in developing public policy initiatives that address the needs of children with incarcerated parents.
"This is a national epidemic," said Rev. Calvin S. Morris, Ph.D., Executive Director, Community Renewal Society. "There are an estimated 7.3 million children with a parent currently involved in the criminal justice system. As a society we can no longer afford to ignore the plight of the children and families who are left alone to navigate the complex and often cold world of the criminal justice system."
To launch the campaign, Community Renewal's award-winning newsmagazines, The Chicago Reporter and The Chicago Reporter, produced a series of investigative reports that explored the gaps in information on this vulnerable population, as well as gaps in treatment and services available to children and families grappling with this issue. Both publications reveal that there is no system for tracking children with incarcerated parents; neither prisons nor schools document this information.
"Without concrete data on these children, it is difficult to recommend a comprehensive approach for breaking this cycle," said Morris. " In 1975, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System began recording data from car accidents around the country. Since then, that data has been used to develop important safety improvements on roads and successful accident prevention strategies. As a result, auto accidents have decreased. A similar system, one that tracks children with parents involved in the criminal justice system, is needed."
Other key findings include:
Community Renewal's Civic Action Network, a regional alliance of 70 faith communities, is working closely with national groups around this issue, including Children of Prisoners, Children of Promise, a group of advocacy organizations committed to increasing awareness of the needs of children of incarcerated parents. In partnership, Community Renewal will mobilize its base to shed light on the needs of children who experience the pain of parental incarceration. Combining data with advocacy, Civic Action will release the results of a statewide survey of resident's attitudes and perceptions about children with incarcerated parents and intergenerational incarceration in late spring 2007.
"We have an opportunity to prevent the unnecessary," said Morris. "Illinois, a leader in criminal justice reform, is the perfect location to tackle this issue. These reports are just the beginning of what we and our partners are sure will become an important moment for building a progressive voice on this essential incarceration issue."
Community Renewal Society is a progressive, faith-based organization that works to eliminate race and class barriers. Founded in 1882, Community Renewal informs, organizes and trains both communities and individuals to advocate for social and economic justice. Catalyst Chicago is an independent publication created to document, analyze, and support improvement efforts in Chicago's public schools. The Chicago Reporter is an investigative publication that identifies, analyzes, and reports on the social, economic, and political issues of metropolitan Chicago with a focus on race and poverty. Community Renewal Society publishes both.
