Programs for Incarcerated Parents Preliminary Findings from a Pilot Survey (2022)

A significant number of incarcerated individuals in the United States are parents of minor children, resulting in approximately 2.7 million children having at least one parent in prison. Research suggests the incarceration of a parent can put a strain on the parent-child relationship and increase the risk for child delinquency, poor academic achievement, and social and emotional problems, which disproportionately affect children of color because of racial and ethnic disparities in incarceration rates. Many U.S. prisons offer programs to support incarcerated parents and their children; however, little is known about exactly what programs exist, how they are implemented, and the extent to which incarcerated parents participate.