You may notice a theme in my posts this week.
Everything is leading up to an important but informal Zoom discussion on Supporting the Children of Incarcerated Parents; sharing ideas and measures for ensuring protective factors are put in place for children.
One important resource I am sharing in advance, is The Children of Incarcerated Parent’s Bill of Rights.
Created in 2005 by SFCIPP and developed in collaboration with impacted children, it consists of 8 rights that can help case workers, judges, and criminal justice professional ensure innocent bystanders are treated with care and dignity.
Children have the “right to be considered, heard, cared for, accepted without judgment, and connected to their parents now and into the future.”
Real Life Example
The State of Michigan’s sentencing laws and Michigan DOC’s Presentencing Reports do not at all consider family impact at sentencing. Even though they have the power to change this, many prosecutors and judges, especially in rural areas, outright refuse.
This doesn’t have to be a daunting task. It could easily change, as the Urban Institute offers phenomenal resources like the Toolkit for Developing Family Impact Statements.
All it takes is courage to be a leader.
Free Resources
Check out:
- SFICPP: The Children of Incarcerated Parent’s Bill of Rights
- Urban Institute: Toolkit for Developing Family Impact Statements
