As a school drop-out who resorted to gangs and drugs, David Lewis was sentenced to ten years to life in prison at age 19. Against all odds, he rehabilitated himself and devoted his life to community-based drug, alcohol and violence prevention programs. David co-founded Free At Last (FAL) a substance abuse treatment intervention prevention movement that has been documented as one of Center for Substance Abuse Treatment best practices. During its first year, FAL helped to reduce violence in the East Palo Alto community by 87%. David has been featured on Bill Moyer’s documentary, Circle of Recovery and  NOW show in 2003. David was also featured in the BET documentary titled AIDS in Prison and was honored with The Jefferson Award for Public Services.

Described as charming, personable, and funny, David was known as someone with an infectious vision and passion for providing second chances to those many had given up on.  According to the San Francisco Chronicle, East Palo Alto Police Chief Ron Davis said, “He was a stellar person in the community. He worked hard. He wasn’t without fault – he would be the first to tell you that. But to change that into something positive for the community is what I think his legacy will be.”  His  fearless example has had profound effects on the community at large, as well as lasting impacts on the lives of countless individuals. He will be greatly missed.

For more information about Free at Last or to make a memorial contribution, visit them online at http://www.freeatlast.org/.

New! Rutgers University, Camden, NJ offers one of the first college credit courses on Children of the Incarcerated in the Country
New! 2 Funds for College Scholarships for Those Impacted by Crime: Children of the Incarcerated and Children of Victims of Crime
New! The Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents Technical Assistance Project-Contextual Factors
Call for Stories from Children of Incarcerated Parents
Call for Papers Focusing on Incarcerated Mothers from Demeter Press
Child Welfare and Policy News
Pennsylvania Resources
Resources for Service Providers
International News
College and Children of the Incarcerated

Click on any of the above links for more information.  Jump down for even more current news.

New! Rutgers University, Camden, NJ offers one of the first college credit courses on Children of the Incarcerated in the Country

50:202:356:Sec.A2:85138 ATG 123
5/29-6/21 M,Tu,W,Th 10:50am-1:30pm
This course provides a framework for understanding and responding to the needs of children and families of the incarcerated, focusing on emerging best practices in systems that serve them such as Corrections, Education, and Child Welfare. It will examine the impact of parental incarceration on children at various ages in the context of current studies on brain development, trauma, toxic stress, attachment and resilience theories. Includes discussion of the impact of race, culture, family dynamics and coping styles in families impacted by the criminal justice system.
http://www.camden.rutgers.edu/Academics/summer/ccas.html#202

New! 2 Funds for College Scholarships for Those Impacted by Crime: Children of the Incarcerated and Children of Victims of Crime

Peanut Scholarship Fund at Southern Illinois at Carbondale

http://ccj.siuc.edu/waystoGive.html
The Peanut Scholarship Fund: This fund was established to assist a good student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale who has financial difficulty because one or both parents have been involved in crime. This includes parents who are incarcerated or who because of being victims of crime are unable to provide financial support. The fund recognizes the nickname of a young man in this situation.

Children Impacted by crime Scholarships

New! The Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents Technical Assistance Project-Contextual Factors.

Click here to read this paper by Susan D. Phillips, Ph.D., addressing contextual factors of this project including differences in rates of prison expansion, prison population size and rate of incarceration, rate of parental incarceration and indicators of child well-being.

Call for Stories from Children of Incarcerated Parents

Are you an adult who experienced the incarceration of a parent as a child?  Are you interested in sharing your story, in your own words, with others?  Children of Incarcerated Parents (CIP) is editing a book of life stories by adults who had a parent in jail and/or prison when they were growing up. The book will describe adult perspectives on parental incarceration. This will not be a book ABOUT children of incarcerated parents, it will be a book BY adults who experienced the incarceration of a parent as children.
There is no requirement that you have ever lived with your incarcerated parent or that you have had an active relationship with your parent who has been in jail or prison.
CIP is also interested in those who are the second generation of incarcerated people.  They will provide you with editorial assistance to help you write the story you want to tell. Written work can be sent electronically or by mail.

If you are interested in sharing your story and participating in this important project, please email or write CIP at:

cipstories@gmail.com

OR

Denise Johnston
Box 41-286
Eagle Rock, California 90041

Call for Papers on Incarcerated Mothers

Demeter Press is seeking submissions for an edited collection titled “Criminalized Mothers: Criminalizing Motherhood”, co-edited by Joanne Minaker and Bryan Hogeveen. There is very little information available about the effects of parental incarceration from the point of view of adult children. This book could help guide future research, policy and practice by opening a window onto a wider variety of experiences of parental incarceration than we typically have available to us. The call for papers is focused on incarcerated mothers

For details, click here.

Child Welfare and Policy News

• A recent report issued by the US Government Accountability Office entitled: “CHILD WELFARE- More Information and Collaboration Could Promote Ties Between Foster Care Children and Their Incarcerated Parents” (September 2011) recommends that child welfare agencies across the country offer training and resources to Child welfare practitioners. This report suggests that child welfare agency staff need tools that will assist them in 1.) Identifying the children with incarcerated parents who are or come into, their systems; 2.) Implementing strategies for collaboration, communication, visitation and reunification that will promote ties between children and their incarcerated parents; and 3.) Providing clear and realistic guidelines and protocols for understanding and managing barriers to reunification for this population.
• The Annie E. Casey Foundation has a new publication – “When a Parent is Incarcerated: A Primer for Social Workers ( 2011.) is a primer thats goal is to provide relevant and practi¬cal information for public child welfare agencies and social workers when working with incarcerated parents.
• New Jersey’s Department of Youth and Family Services has created a comprehensive training for Child welfare workers statewide. “The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children in the Child Welfare System” (November 2011) was written by NRCCFI Director Ann Adalist-Estrin, and has been delivered through the new Jersey Child Welfare Partnership to approximately 200 Child welfare workers in new Jersey since December 2011.
• Ann Adalist-Estrin is in the early stages of planning adaptations of this curriculum for 3 other states. See Training and TA for more information.

Pennsylvania Resources

• Miss America tells lawmakers to look to ease hurt for children of jailed parents (Metro Philadelphia, Feb 10, 2012). The glitz of pageantry and the grit of prisons represent two separate worlds that are seemingly irreconcilable. But this year’s Miss America, Lauren Kaeppeler of Kenosha, Wisc., was in Philadelphia on Thursday to unite the two. Kaeppeler appeared at City Hall with the Pennsylvania Prison Society to help present a report, “The Effects of Parental Incarceration on Children.” Her own father served 12 months in a federal penitentiary for mail fraud when she was 17, and she competed on the platform of helping children with incarcerated parents. “No matter the crime, no matter the reason your parents are in prison, children feel the same,” she said, recounting how embarrassed and isolated she and her sisters, aged 11 and 14 at the time, felt. The report, generated by a joint state government committee see link below) makes concrete recommendations to help remedy some of those emotions for children in the 100,000 households with incarcerated parents in Pennsylvania. The state’s prison population has increased 535 percent over the past 30 years. Visit this resource here.
• The Effect s of Parental Incarceration on Children: Needs and Responsive Services is a Report to the Advisory Committee, Joint State Government Commission for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dec 2011, 152 page) which can be found by clicking here.

Resources for Services Providers

Caring for children when a parent is arrested: A guide to legal options & resources (by Gail Smith, Attorney at Law, Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers , 2011). This 46 page booklet is written simply and provides an overview of key issues for arrested parents including short-term guardianship, school enrollment, ending guardianship, fathers’ custody, foster care and other relevant information. For more information, click here.

International News

Chinese Heart Association International Conference on the Families of the Incarcerated

The Chinese Red Heart Association is a non-profit organization in Taiwan (R.O.C) serving families of the incarcerated that has helped more than 4,000 families since beginning in 1089.  CRHA wants to know the strategies other organizations in different countries have developed to deal with the specific challenges families face when their loved ones are in prison. They believe exchange of experiences can bring new motivations to this field worth more concern but often overlooked in Taiwan.

CHRA plans to hold an International Conference on the Families of the Incarcerated in September 2012. Academics and professionals paying close attention to the situations of families of the incarcerated will be invited to participate in discussion. The goal is to gain an understanding of available services – such as clients and particular experiences influencing your service model.

CHRA recently mailed invitations to related organizations in U. S. A., Hong Kong, and Singapore. Due to finding that their Chinese website was insufficient, they recently updated it with English version (http://www.redheart.org.tw//index.php?code=list&ids=32), whose content comprehensively introduces the history, mission, and service achievements of the Department of Services to the Families of the Incarcerated in Chinese Red Heart Association.

For detailed information of the International Conference on the Families of the Incarcerated click here.

Next Generation

Next Generation consolidates the results of work by many research and service organizations across Australia and incorporates VACRO’s experience in providing services and support to the families and children of offenders in Victoria. Their paper, Next Genration on the Outside, proposes a coordinated framework for work by many stakeholders that will improve responses to the needs of children and families of offenders.

If you would like further information about Next Generation or to discuss VACRO’s work in this area, please contact:

Mary-Ann Robinson,
Manager, Research and Development
mrobinson@vacro.org.au

Report on the UN Day of Discussion

The report of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s 2011 Day of General Discussion (DGD) on the theme ‘children of incarcerated parents’ has now finished. The Day was a great success, with 200 participants (the largest number ever) and detailed discussions on the issues in this first-ever major international gathering on the issue.

Below are a few updates since the Day was held at the end of September, including webcasting, what’s next and exhibition. If you have any questions or want to get in touch, please email them at childrenofprisoners@quno.ch.

Webcasting

The Day was webcast and the videos are now available to view online. The meeting took place in two working groups (to cover all the variety of issues related to parental incarceration), which were broadcast separately. The links are below.

Opening plenary, Working Group 1 (Babies and children living with or visiting a parent in prison) and closing plenary session
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnCYl5FMPjE&feature=g-upl
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B37lLSkyhuc&feature=g-upl
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUsfjR5n89E&feature=g-upl
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnCYl5FMPjE&feature=g-upl
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV0NuFft_rg&feature=g-upl

The first contribution in Part 1 is in French, afterwards contributions are in English. Each video is about 1 hour long.

Working Group 2 (Children left ‘outside’ when their parent is incarcerated)
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YNeEm78C1U&feature=g-upl
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gx2y9_eT8Q&feature=g-upl
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tKuW1OcDo0&feature=g-upl
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_RWKgGFe4E&feature=g-upl
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx15il4Qs6o&feature=g-upl
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzqv3Lby9Bc&feature=g-upl
Part 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdyiivwc5EM&feature=g-upl
Part 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcwLyeyiSfg&feature=g-upl
Part 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heZUIDec-NQ&feature=g-upl
Part 10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF0U5WO0I1o&feature=g-upl
Part 11: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC_ho1pG1io&feature=g-upl

Please note that the sound quality is very poor until 5 minutes into Part 2. Contributions are all translated into English. Videos vary in length between 4 minutes and 35 minutes.

What’s next?

The Committee on the Rights of the Child is currently drafting its report of the DGD, which is expected to be presented at its forthcoming (Jan-Feb 2012) session. It will detail the main points and recommendations from the Day, as well as describe any next steps the Committee proposes to take. Members of the NGO Working Group on children of incarcerated parents are hoping to meet with the Committee at that session to discuss progress and ways of helping them to take forward this issue. We will keep you updated of these developments.

The Quaker UN Office is producing its own synthesis from the Day, drawing together the relevant points and good practice that came out during the discussions and in the written submissions received before the Day. This should be ready in early 2012 and we will let you know when it is ready.

Exhibition

People who came to Geneva for the Day of General Discussion may remember the ‘Collateral Convicts’ exhibition that accompanied the DGD and which described children’s experiences of having a parent in prison. Several participants at the DGD asked if they could borrow it to use in their home regions and we are happy to announce that we can lend it out. Because the panels are very large and therefore expensive to transport, we are encouraging people in the first instance to use the electronic files of the exhibition to get their own hard copies of the exhibition produced, or alternatively to project the panels electronically. If you are interested in doing this and would like to receive the electronic files, please get in touch at childrenofprisoners@quno.ch. Also, if you want to borrow the original panels, please contact us and we can discuss possibilities.

College and Children of the Incarcerated

The college application process can be daunting, but even more than that is the prospect of paying for the ever-rising costs of higher education. At the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated, the third most common request is for information on scholarships for children with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents (CIPs). We have been unable to provide very many specific resources for CIPs and their families. This is primarily because there are few organizations that provide scholarships for this specific segment of students preparing to or attending higher educational institutions. Read more here.

 More Current News …

International News: UN Day of Discussion, International Symposium, New Website and Study, and the 2012 International Study Week/Seminar for Children of Prisoners
New Report: Safeguarding NY’s Children of Incarcerated Parents
NYC Premiere of Mothers of Bedford
Family Justice Program Publication: Setting an Agenda for Family-focused Justice Reform
Blog of Interest -  Immigrant Children of Incarcerated Parents
A Resource for Caregivers – Difficult Questions Children Ask,  and Answers that Can Help: A Caregiver’s Guide
NRCCFI Special Project – Visiting and How to Get There: A Survey of Program Models Offering Transportation for Prison Visiting

International News: UN Day of Discussion, International Symposium, New Website and Study, and the 2012 International Study Week/Seminar for Children of Prisoners

1. UN day of discussion on children of incarcerated parents is taking place in Geneva on Sept 30.  FCN was part of the petitioning committee that worked to have Children of the Incarcerated be the focus of this year’s day of discussion in the committee on the rights of the child.  The deadline for submitting written items is August 5.  For more info, visit the following link: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/discussion2011.htm.
2. Save the Date!  FCN will be collaborating with the Chinese Red Heart Association – a non-profit organization in Taiwan serving families of the incarcerated – as they host an International Symposium on Children of the Incarcerated on Sept 13-14 2012 in Taipei.   The purpose of this symposium is to become the cradle of new ideas and understand more about international services (such as clients and particular experiences influencing various service models).  FCN Executive Director, Ann Adalist-Estrin will be presenting on Responding to the Needs of Children and Families of the Incarcerated in the US.  For an English version of their website, visit http://www.redheart.org.tw/index.php?code=list&ids=32. More info to come.
3. Pillars in New Zealand has a new web site for children of the incarcerated as well as a 2010 follow up report on their 2009 study on CIPs http://www.pillars.org.nz/.
4. Wells of Hope will present an International Study Week/Seminar on Children of Prisoners on June 4-9th, 2012 in Kampala, Uganda.  This study week/seminar will discuss and jointly develop an Action Agenda for Children Whose Parents Are in Prison, while promoting friendship, solidarity, and one spirit among people serving vulnerable children whose parents are in prison from all over the world. The week includes visiting remote villages and isolated peoples – especially grandmothers – who care for the children of their children in prison. For more information, visit them online at www.wellsofhope.net.

Safeguarding NY’s Children of Incarcerated Parents

Check out this new report from the Osborne Association’s New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents, here.

NYC Premiere of Mothers of Bedford

When: Thursday, June 30, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Maysles Cinema, 343 Malcolm X Blvd/ Lenox Ave (Between 127th & 128th Streets
Visit here to see the trailer.

Family Justice Program Publication: Setting an Agenda for Family-focused Justice Reform

Vera Institute of Justice is pleased to announce a Family Justice Program publication titled, “Setting an Agenda for Family-focused Justice Reform” with the help of FCN and other organizations with like-minded goals. You may also be interested in a guest blog by Chris Wildeman from Yale commenting on the report.

First Focus Blog – Uniting Our Voices for Immigrant Children of Incarcerated Parents

For more information and resources, visit First Focus.

Arizona Family Members Behind Bars: Difficult Questions Children Ask, and Answers that Can Help: A Caregiver’s Guide to Arizona’s Criminal Justice System from Arrest to Release

This guide, from Kare Family Center of the Arizona’s Children Association, Pima Prevention Partnership, and the AZ Stars Collaboration – is newly available in both English and Spanish, along with an accompanying Activity Packet. Visit our Products and Publications, Available from Our Partners page for more info.

Visiting and How to Get There: A Survey of Program Models Offering Transportation for Prison Visiting

By Dee Ann Newell Policy Forum Writer and Eva DeLair Special Projects Coordinator, NRCCFI

“at the time of my incarceration […] the receiving prison was located about 2 hours from my home but there was no direct bus transportation to the prison.  Each time my mother attempted to bring my son to prison she had to get a ride and that was not easy, she had to depend on the kindness of others, even when offering to pay their expenses getting to prison was a hassle.” -Anonymous

Strong family ties during imprisonment can have a positive impact on people returning from prison and on their children. Some research suggests that parenting programs in prison reduce recidivism, improving the chances of successful re-entry. People returning home from prison who have access to family support fare better than those who do not on a range of re-entry outcomes. Read More =>

For past news, visit our Archived News page.

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Thank you so much for just existing. I am an ex-offender now working as a Reentry Case Manager. My twins were 3 years old when I was arrested and they witnessed my arrest. I was gone for 9.5 months. I went from being a very involved mom when they were babies to totally checking out due to my drug addiction. My children reacted to my incarceration by regressing. They stopped talking and my daughter was peeing on the floor of the kitchen.

Today, I’ve been home for almost three years and you would never know that a significant trauma had occurred. We were and are fortunate enough to be able to provide play therapy for my children, marriage counseling for me and my husband and individual counseling for myself. While I was incarcerated, I met many people who didn’t have those resources. I feel fortunate and honored to be able to work with many of those people. Right now, I am putting together a workshop on family reunification after incarceration. Your website is invaluable! When I was in jail, I didn’t know these resources existed. I’m so grateful that they do.

Thanks again,

Jennie A.

The awards honor local attorneys and activists who have defended women’s rights in the courtroom, the capitol and beyond. CFW is recognizing Smith for her work to end the shackling of pregnant women, as well as her longtime advocacy for the rights of incarcerated mothers and their children. Smith began CLAIM twenty-six years ago to provide legal services and to advocate for the rights of women with criminal histories. Smith is being honored together with attorneys Kenneth N. Flaxman and Thomas G. Morrissey for The Protect Pregnant Prisoners Campaign, litigation and legislation to end the dangerous practice of shackling incarcerated pregnant women and new mothers. Click here for more info.

For prior FCN spotlights, visit the Spotlight Archives.

Responding to Children and Families of Prisoners: A Community Guide

“Indispensable to families, communities and those who work with them. The creativity and compassion embodied in this volume reflect the principles and work of Family & Corrections Network, an invaluable partner to many innovators in our field.”

-Carol Shapiro and Rosemary McGinn, Family Justice, Inc.

Authors Ann Adalist-Estrin and Jim Mustin issue a call to action for communities across America. Distinguishing myth from reality, this new publication describes the serious risks facing families and children of prisoners and the protective factors that help them survive. It lays out choices and challenges facing communities seeking to respond to families of prisoners, lists resources and outlines strategies for action.
Soft cover, 50 pages, 8 ½” X 11″, $16.50

NRCCFI builds on the 25 year history of Family and Corrections Network (FCN) in providing relevant and effective training and technical assistance to programs serving children and families of the incarcerated.

New NRCCFI Onsite Trainings!

General Training

New! Understanding the Impact of Trauma and Attachment Disruptions on Children of Incarcerated Parents

The goal of most programs for at risk children is to provide supportive relationships that  acts as a protective factors in the face of multiple risk factors. While there are no studies that actually conclude that children of the incarcerated are at higher risk for criminal behavior than their peers, we do know that these are children who are at risk for a host of negative outcomes. Nowhere in the literature, however, do we see causal patterns clearly described.

This training will explore a framework for working with children of the incarcerated that builds on new research which examines the experience of parental incarceration in the context of current studies on brain development, trauma and stress. The information presented will train, prepare and inspire staff of programs serving children of incarcerated parents and other at risk youth to better understand the feelings, behaviors and challenges that result from attachment trauma.

This training will combine an agency specific needs assessment with experiential activities and research discussions designed to give participants up to date background information as well as practice in applying this information to a variety of service delivery models through a series of  stories/situations from the field.

Ann Adalist-Estrin will present current research and data related to the connection between attachment, trauma, stress, and brain development from the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child and The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, and illustrate the implications of these data to effective programs for children of the incarcerated and other children/youth at risk. Issues to be covered include: the impact of stress and trauma on the developing brain, behavioral patterns resulting from attachment disruptions and traumatic experiences, the importance of the parent–child relationship as a buffer from trauma, jealousy and competition between parents/caregivers and mentors, the significance of self reflection and perspective shifting as crucial skills for staff, and the importance of including  family strengthening practices in  agency  protocols.

This training is designed to include expert guest speakers from the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated Speakers Bureau such as adult children who survived trauma, parental incarceration and/or domestic or community violence and who will address the role of programs, practices and policies  as protective factors contributing to their successes in life. These appearances may be in person or video /web based.

Training Objectives

Participants will:

• Examine how attachment, trauma, and brain development theories provide a  framework for understanding the impact that adverse childhood experiences such as parental  incarceration and community violence  has on children and families
• Understand how to utilize theories of attachment, trauma, and brain development in designing intervention  protocols for program staff
• Assess the staff/agency capacity for providing high quality relationship building services to children and  families  reacting to trauma and attachment disturbances
• Hear directly from adult children, who have survived parental incarceration and other risk factors, what they needed from programs, services and  program staff.
• Discuss, apply and practice supervision  strategies that will help staff effectively respond to children at risk and their families to minimize difficulties, frustrations and disappointments for the children, families and program providers.

Ann Adalist-Estrin is Director of the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated at the Family and Corrections Network in Philadelphia and a Child and Family Therapist, in Jenkintown, Pa. Ann is also adjunct faculty at Boston University Medical School/Healthy Steps for Young Children Pediatric Training Program where she teaches courses on the impact of parental/adult caregiver behaviors on child development and attachment.

She is an Author, Speaker, and Consultant to a variety of agencies serving children and families with many workshop topics, keynote presentations and trainings delivered nationally and internationally. She has recently presented on “Attachment, Trauma and Cycles of Incarceration” at the Centerforce Summit in San Francisco (October 2009) and the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia (November 2009).

Ann’s article entitled “Reframing the Cycle of Incarceration: Trauma, Attachment and Race” is due to be published in a forthcoming special Issue of Social Work in Public Health. Ann’s other publications include: CHANCE – Caregivers Helping to Affect and Nurture Children Early: A Training Curriculum on the Impact of Domestic Violence on Children for Early Childhood Program Staff (Institute for Safe families, 2005), Mentoring Children of Prisoners: A Curriculum for Training Mentors (CWLA, 2004); Responding to Children and Families of Prisoners:  A Community Guide (FCN, 2003), Mentoring Children in the Juvenile Justice System ( Maryland Mentoring Partnership, 2005) and The Children of Incarcerated Parents Library on line at www.fcnetwork.org. Since May of 2004, Ann has used the Mentoring Children of Prisoners Curriculum to train 105 community agencies in 46 states across America.

Understanding the Impact of Trauma and Attachment Disruptions on Children of Incarcerated Parents is a 1.5 day training and includes:
3 hours of follow up consultation by conference call
2 guest speakers in addition to the trainer
2 DVDs
Fee: $2350.00 plus travel expenses.

Reentry

NEW! When Parents Come Home: The Impact of Parole on Children of Incarcerated Parents and the Programs that Serve Them.

This workshop is designed to explore the issues that arise for children of incarcerated parents when that parent returns from prison. The training will focus on typical reactions to the release of a parent from prison- for children, caregivers, paroled parents, the community and the service delivery agency. This training will include strategies for responding to the needs of paroled parents and their children, address issues and  concerns in identifying and implementing promising vs. evidence based practices.
Duration: 6 hour training session given in one day
Fee: $1,500 plus expenses

Bill of Rights Implementation Training

NEW! The Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents:  A Framework for Agency Advocacy.*

(* Information on the Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents is available from the developers at the San Francisco Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership; see www.sfcipp.org)

This new FCN training is directed to practitioners and advocates in the field of children of incarcerated parents, and includes their families. Dee Ann Newell will offer a set of skills specifically developed to improve practice and policies impacting  children and  families of the incarcerated.  These include:

1. Strategy Development for Practitioner Advocacy
2. Bringing the Right People to the Table
3. “All Politics is Local:” The Impact of Local, Regional, State, and Federal Policies on your Local Program Implementation
4. Creative media and Press Strategies: Story-Telling Approaches for Advocacy Efforts
5. Who Speaks for the Children of Incarcerated Parents?
6. Assessing Agency Policy versus Public Policy
7. Tools and Outcome Measures for Effective Advocacy by Agencies and Practitioners
8. Sustaining Your Agency’s Advocacy Efforts Over Times

Duration: 6 hour training given in one day
Fee: $1200.00 plus expenses

Mentoring Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

NEW! Moving To Independence: Youth Mentoring Curriculum

This Train the Trainer designed by AAE for the Maryland Mentoring Partnership was piloted with adjudicated youth throughout the state of Maryland in 2007-2008 and is now available through NRCCFI. This training provides information and strategies for training mentors to develop strong and effective relationships with youth involved in the juvenile justice system to prepare them to assist in transitioning or reentry.
Duration: 2 day training
Fee: $3,000 plus expenses

NRCCFI Full Training List:

Onsite Trainings
Telephone Trainings
Past Telephone Training CDs For Purchase
Speaker’s Bureau

These rights, written by journalist and author, Nell Bernstein, and co-author, Gretchen Newby, director of Friends Outside, have guided advocates across the country, and in other countries, as well, as they pursued improved policies and practices that are less harmful and take the children into account.

Here on the FCN website, you will find relevant updates of various groups across the nation who are using the framework of the Bill of Rights for policy improvements. Please let Dee Ann Newell know of activities by your group that are framed by the Bill of Rights.

Updates – April 2010

New by State

State of Washington

The State of Washington’s statewide CFIP advisory committee was de-funded by the legislature, unfortunately, but they have been busy on other fronts-
1) Passed a law (SSB 6639) providing non-prison alternatives to custodial parents convicted of non-violent crimes: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6639

2) Created a toolkit for mental health and chemical dependency providers who work with children of the incarcerated and their families: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/dbhr/youthtxtoolkit.pdf

Thanks for the update to Miriam Bearse.

Updates – November 2009

News by State

Travis County, Texas (Austin)

The Bill of Rights group in Austin, Texas received a grant from the Texas Episcopal Diocese Restorative Justice Committee to continue the effort to initiate policies and practices in line with the Bill of Rights.
The group has set three priorities, combining some of the rights into one working group, with an arrest group, a family impact statement group, visitation, and cross-systems development on services and policies affecting the children. They held a recent working group meeting to establish these groups, and Dee Ann Newell served as the facilitator. Such energy and action was palpable. The groups are convening a mere two weeks later and are quite determined their Rights to Reality organization will be prepared to implement or garner full support by March 2010.

Illinois (Chicago)

The BOR group in Illinois, comprised of multi-organizations concerned with the children of incarcerated parents, mostly in the Chicago area, held their legislative hearings with the Illinois House of Representatives Youth and Families Committee. Adult children, caregivers, formerly incarcerated parents, and providers testified. Two legislators talked about incarceration in their own families and one discussed past substance abuse, quite unusual in public meetings such as this. ‘There is hope for legislation in the spring diverting IDOC funding to family-based treatment. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless convened a collaboration of groups on the “percent to Prevent” concept with the focus on community-based alternatives.
Shortly after the hearing, the House passed a bill for video visits.

The Community Renewal Society, an ecumenical faith group in Chicago, very dedicated to the issues of the children, made specific requests of the IDOC, including child-friendly visitation policies, no limiting contact to a mere hug at the beginning and end of the visits; consideration of families in parole planning and transfer of parents closer to their families; funding of non-profit programs for visitation by children; 100 beds in family-based treatment programs under the Family Unity model for primary-caregiver parents.
To see an article on the hearings, go to the website of CLAIM (www.claim-il.org).

Arkansas

The BOR coalition in Arkansas helped to promote advocacy to abolish the use of restraints on pregnant, incarcerated women during labor and delivery. On October 2, the federal 8th Circuit ruling in a civil rights case brought by a woman who endured this practice (Shawanna Nelson) denied immunity to the guard who placed the plaintiff in handcuffs and shackles throughout the labor, removed during delivery only and immediately replaced. The case will come back to the federal district court, to be heard on the merits concerning cruel and unusual punishment.

The school-based support groups for youth impacted by a family member’s incarceration has greatly expanded, and division into sub-groups to accommodate all of the youth who want to be involved has meant subgroups of youth in foster care, youth of immigrants who have been arrested or deported, and a group primarily affected by parental incarceration.

Plans for new legislation for One per Cent to Prevent funding, passed previously, a commission to review cross-agency policies affecting children of the incarcerated, and legislation for guardianship subsidies for the relative caregivers will be put forth in 2011, with support-building underway. deeann@arkansasvoices.org or www.arkansasvoices.org

Montana

The BOR coalition in Montana has printed their Family Handbook, addressing all stages of incarceration with tips for caregivers and parents in addressing children’s questions and concerns. For more information, contact Marty@theparenting place.org

New Mexico

Legislation (HB491)  was passed in 2008 which provided appropriations with the goal to avoid unnecessarily taking children into custody when their parents are incarcerated.    Six community-based agencies (i.e. Boys and Girls Club) recently received contracts from their state child welfare agency to provide referral services for police and public child welfare.  The community-based agency that receive referrals from law enforcement also work with the jails to do contact visitation and parenting support for jailed parents, as well as home visits to provide family stability with the caregivers and to provide resources.  They have arranged with their jails to add questions to their booking forms that relate to children, their safety, and any immediate needs the children may experience as a result of the arrest.  They have started traveling around the state to conduct law enforcement training on child sensitive arrest practice with local police and sheriffs.  The legislation included language which required a TA provider knowledgeable about children of incarcerated parents is available to assist public agencies (Angie is the consultant providing this service).   Angie is also currently working with their legislature regarding the impact of state budget cuts, Early release program, and the development of a female parolee/young female parolee program.  The documentary, “Invisible Children” about incarcerated parents will air shortly on their public TV station   (Contact: Angie Vachio, avachio@comcast.net)

U.S. House and Senate

CSG Justice Center Applauds U.S. House and Senate Members’ Introduction of Justice Reinvestment Bill
Bill Helps State/Local Governments Reduce Corrections Spending and Increase Public Safety
Washington, DC—Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), together with Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Dan Lungren (R-CA), introduced legislation yesterday that will provide grants to state and local governments to design and advance data-driven, consensus-based strategies to reduce corrections spending and increase public safety. The Criminal Justice Reinvestment Act of 2009 builds on the justice reinvestment work done by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center in Texas, Kansas, Vermont, Rhode Island and seven other states.

“We applaud the extraordinary bipartisan spirit of this bill, which mirrors the efforts of Democrats and Republicans in states across the country to work across the aisle on this complex issue. It also couldn’t be more timely: legislators have learned that with the kind of information that the justice reinvestment approach provides, state and local leaders have better options than just trying to build our way out of our perpetual prison crowding problems,” said CSG Justice Center Board Chair and New York Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry.
In the past 20 years, state spending on corrections has grown at a rate faster than nearly any other state budget item, increasing from more than $12 billion in 1988 to more than $50 billion in 2008. Despite this increased expenditure, recidivism rates remain high: a Bureau of Justice Statistics report indicated that half of all studied individuals who were released from state prison were re-incarcerated within three years.

In response, the Justice Center has worked with a growing number of states to implement the kind of justice reinvestment approaches promoted by this legislation—which provide policymakers with state-specific, data-driven analyses and policy options to help manage the growth of state prison populations, reduce recidivism and increase public safety.

“This bill will help state and local governments spend their limited corrections budgets in a more targeted, rational way to both manage inmate population growth and protect public safety,” Senator Whitehouse said.
In states where the Justice Center has worked with policymakers who have implemented proposed options, jurisdictions have saved hundreds of millions of dollars in corrections spending. These states have also reinvested a portion of the savings in strategies designed to increase public safety and improve conditions in neighborhoods where most people from prison return.

The Justice Center ‘s justice reinvestment initiative has been supported by a public/private partnership that includes the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Public Safety Performance Project, the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Open Society Institute and the states receiving intensive technical assistance. The Public Welfare Foundation and Joyce Foundation have contributed to this effort as well.

The Criminal Justice Reinvestment Act of 2009 (S.2772/H.R.4080) authorizes the U.S Attorney General to make grants to state and local governments and tribes to help jurisdictions (1) analyze criminal justice trends to understand what is driving the growth in their local jail and prison populations, (2) develop tailored policy options to reduce corrections expenditures and increase the effectiveness of current spending and reinvestment that can make communities safer, (3) implement the proposed policies and programs, and (4) measure the impact of these changes and develop accountability measures.

Sentencing Reform Endorsed by 59 Members of the House of Representatives

For the first time, crack cocaine sentencing reform legislation received a favorable vote when the House Judiciary Committee in July approved the Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009, H.R. 3245. The bill introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) ends the distinction in federal law between crack and powder cocaine, thereby eliminating the disparity in sentencing for the two drugs. The next stop is the House floor.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. It provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies—informed by available evidence—to increase public safety and strengthen communities.

• To learn more about the justice reinvestment approach, see www.justicereinvestment.org. For more about the CSG Justice Center , see www.justicecenter.csg.org.

• For a copy of the press release from bill sponsors, see http://whitehouse.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=69C4B8F5-4DDF-49FD-B2D6-3D4EBC1C4F4E. A copy of the legislation will be available at http://thomas.loc.gov.

From the CWLA Child Monitor:  Supreme Court Hears Case of Juvenile Offenders

Last Monday, the Supreme Court heard two cases regarding juvenile offenders who received sentences of life in prison without possibility of parole. The cases involve Joe Sullivan, who was found guilty of raping a woman when he was 13, and Terrance Graham, who pled guilty of committing armed burglary at 16. CWLA has signed on in support of an amicus brief in the cases claiming that the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment forbids sentencing individuals to life without the possibility of parole–essentially forcing them die in prison–for crimes other than homicide committed as juveniles.

Attorneys in the case made the argument that juveniles are different than adults. Juveniles are less culpable. Over time, they have the inherit capacity to change and potentially reform. In a similar case, the Court barred the execution of juvenile offenders in 2005 by a vote of 5 to 4, saying that people under 18 are immature, irresponsible, susceptible to peer pressure, and capable of change.

There are just over 100 people in the world serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole for crimes they committed as juveniles in which no one was killed. All are in the United States and 77 of them are in Florida . Louisiana has 17 such prisoners; California , Delaware , Iowa , Mississippi , Nebraska and South Carolina have the rest. It is unclear when an opinion will be forthcoming from the Court.

Your Support is Needed for a White House Conference on Children and Youth

The possibility of a White House conference on Children and Youth is dependent on the passage of HR 618 & S. 938. Such a conference would allow children of incarcerated parents to be considered for the first time in the history of the White House’s conferences on children and youth. To make it happen, contact your congressional delegation and ask them to support these bills. Write to our president, urging his support. With the plight of all children in our nation more precarious than ever, and feedback from international observers that mass incarceration may be the greatest threat to child well-being in the United States, we need to be writing for support for this event. Please do your part by calling, emailing, and writing.

FACEBOOK for Youth Impacted

The National Bill of Rights Partnership has arranged a FACEBOOK group called Youth Impacted by a Family Member’s Incarceration and Re-Entry. We are hoping youth who are impacted will respond with their own topics and to topical questions provided. We are especially interested in hearing about the role of shame and stigma in their lives, as the  more stories we have, the better job we can do in public education and awareness to stop the labeling and stigmatizing of children and youth coping with a family member’s incarceration. Spread the word!

For more information regarding the Bill of Rights Project, contact borpartnership@yahoo.com.