This begs the question of how to mitigate these issues. One thing that may help is permitting mothers to have their babies with them in prison which allows them to bond.[xvii]


A program such as this


was attempted in British Columbia; it has since been cancelled but the B.C. Supreme Court recently ruled that this cancellation was unconstitutional.[xviii]


While the government may appeal this decision, many are hopeful that the program will be reinstated.[xix] “


The negative effects of parental incarceration mean that this overrepresentation in the justice system is impacting not only those individuals but also their families — and that it will lead to more poverty and perhaps more crime, perpetuating inequality indefinitely.


Another option that could possibly reduce negative impacts on children is to facilitate increased contact between incarcerated parents and their children. Parents may often be imprisoned far


”


from where their children live, so good visitation programs might include help with transportation.[xx]


Other caregivers may


not wish to visit the prison, whether because they are busy or because they do not wish to see the incarcerated parent, leaving children without someone to accompany them.[xxi]


Additionally,


visiting hours may be during work or school hours, meaning that children do not have a time when it is feasible for them to


visit; this should be considered when planning visitation hours. [xxii]


Finally, the atmosphere in prisons may not be conducive to


child visitation, as children may grow bored or be intimidated by prison officials and there may be very strict rules about where incarcerated people can visit or whether they can have physical contact with visitors.[xxiii]


This should be considered in prison


design (for example, toys could be provided for children visiting the prison), training for guards, and visiting policies. Time spent with parents is particularly important in situations where a parent


is incarcerated only briefly, as they will soon re-enter their child’s life.[xxiv]


Visitation is likewise important for children whose parents


will be incarcerated longer so that they do not feel as though they have lost a parent. Telephone costs may be prohibitive, as prisoners may have to place collect calls, so another helpful action may be to provide families with a budget for paying phone bills or recommending some other form of contact, such as Skype.[xxv]


A further concern is the family’s transition when incarcerated parents are released. Programs that help to smooth the reintroduction of the parent into family life may be helpful since


incarceration is known to have negative effects on family harmony. [xxvi]


An additional concern is the reintroduction of the formerly


incarcerated person to society in general. Programs that help released felons get jobs will be highly important for the well-being of their children. Stigma against former convicts may prevent them from getting jobs, but also simply the fact that they have been out of the workforce while incarcerated makes them less employable.[xxvii]


Many of these programs are already being explored in some places but they are not universal. Ultimately, children are unseen victims of prison sentences; consideration must be given to them in prison regulations. Since it is known that disrupted family lives can lead to criminal behaviour in children, having policies that assist those children could be an effective method of crime prevention. It is also important to consider the impacts of incarceration policies — for example, incarceration rates in the United States have gone up substantially.[xxviii]


This begs the question: knowing what


we know about the effects of having an incarcerated parent are on children, is it appropriate to increase the amount of people incarcerated, or should we find other options for dealing with these crimes?[xxix]


The pluses and minuses must be weighed carefully,


and the impacts on children must be carefully considered in this evaluation process.


iAM March 2014


21


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