Some Facts

Children of prisoners are a population with vast needs. Approximately 2.4 million children in the United States have at least one incarcerated parent.[1]

According to the Child Welfare League of America, children whose parents are in prison are at risk for low performance in school, gang affiliation, teen pregnancy, and drug use and abuse.[2]

They are also at high risk for later incarceration: up to half of the boys whose parents have been incarcerated will themselves be incarcerated.[3]

Good mentors can help children improve social and cognitive skills by building trust and strengthening personal relationships. Mentors can be role models, confidants, and emotionally supportive advocates.[4]

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[1] Bernstein, Nell. All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated. New York: The New Press, 2005. 2.

[2] “Understanding and Supporting Foster Children with Incarcerated Parents.” Jordan Institute for Families, January 2002. http://www.practicenotes.org/vol7_no1/support_children_incarparents.htm.

[3] Bernstein, Nell. All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated. New York: The New Press, 2005. p. 212.

[4] Rhodes, Jean E. Stand By Me: The Risks and Rewards of Mentoring Today’s Youth. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002. 36.