One of the most persistent failures of the American court system is how little it understands (or chooses to understand) the children left behind when a parent is incarcerated.
The Pennsylvania Office of Children and Families in the Courts recognized this gap years ago and created a thoughtful, research-informed video training series for judges, attorneys, and court professionals. The goal was simple but overdue: educate decision-makers about the real, lived experiences of children with incarcerated parents.
Although the series is not brand new, its relevance has not faded. If anything, it feels even more urgent today.
Busting the Myths That Harm Children
The series begins by confronting common myths that still quietly shape judicial decisions:
- That children are “resilient enough” to handle parental incarceration
- That removing a parent has minimal long-term impact if basic needs are met
- That punishment of a parent does not extend to punishment of a child
Decades of research say otherwise.
Children of incarcerated parents face higher risks of depression, anxiety, behavioral challenges, educational disruption, and economic instability. These harms are not abstract. They show up in classrooms, pediatric offices, and family courts every day.
Yet many judges receive no formal training on these impacts, despite making decisions that will directly affect family separation, visitation, probation conditions, and sentencing length. It’s inexcusable and indefensible harm.
Knowledge Is a Form of Harm Reduction
What makes this video series so valuable is its framing: judicial education as prevention.
When judges understand how incarceration reshapes childhood, they are better positioned to:
- Preserve parent–child contact whenever possible
- Avoid unnecessary incarceration for primary caregivers
- Weigh collateral consequences alongside legal outcomes
- Make decisions that reduce intergenerational harm
This isn’t about being “soft on crime.” It’s about being accurate about impact.
Children do not stop needing their parents because a conviction occurs. And courts do not escape responsibility for downstream harm simply because it wasn’t the intent.
Courts Help Create the Problem—They Can Help Reduce It
America’s love affair with mass incarceration has produced millions of children growing up with an empty chair at the table. Judges sit at a uniquely powerful intersection: they can either reinforce cycles of trauma or interrupt them.
Education is the first step.
Training like this should not be optional, outdated, or siloed in one state. It should be standard practice nationwide.
Children of incarcerated parents deserve better than silence, myth, and indifference.
They deserve courts that understand what’s at stake.
Watch the Pennsylvania Office of Children and Families in the Courts video series here.
