When a sentence of prison time is imposed on a parent, many times the children of those parents feel they are also being punished.
This is especially true at Christmastime, when children can really feel the separation while their parent is in prison. About 75 percent of women in prison are mothers, and one in every 43 children has a parent in prison. This holiday season, more than 1.7 million children will spend Christmas separated from their incarcerated mom or dad.
kAm%9:D D6A2C2E:@? 42? DEC2:? C6=2E:@?D9:AD 36EH66? 49:=5C6? 2?5 E96:C A2C6?ED[ 2?5 AFE 255:E:@?2= DEC6DD6D @? E96 42C68:G6CD @7 E96 49:=5C6?] r9:=5C6? 2C6?’E 23=6 E@ D92C6 H:E9 E96:C A2C6?ED DE@C:6D 7C@> E96:C 52J :? D49@@= @C H@CC:6D 23@FE DA6?5:?8 r9C:DE>2D 2=@?6 @C :? 2? F?72>:=:2C D6EE:?8]k^Am
kAm{:EE=6 p?86= #26 :D ;FDE @?6 @7 E96 >2?J 49:=5C6? H9@ <?@HD E92E 9:D >@> 42?’E 36 H:E9 9:> E9:D J62C 7@C r9C:DE>2D[ =62G:?8 9:> 766=:?8 =@?6=J – 6DA64:2==J H96? 96 D66D @E96C 72>:=:6D DA6?5:?8 E:>6 E@86E96C 46=63C2E:?8 E96 D62D@?] xE’D 5FC:?8 E96D6 6>@E:@?2= E:>6D E92E p?86= #26 H@?56CD :7 9:D >@> 6G6? C6>6>36CD 9:>]k^Am
kAmp?86= #26’D H@CC:6D 2C6 G6CJ 4@>>@? 7@C 49:=5C6? H9@ 92G6 2 A2C6?E :?42C46C2E65[ 2?5 E92E’D H96C6 !C:D@? u6==@HD9:A’D k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^96=A2?86=EC66]4@>^Qmp?86= %C66k^2m AC@8C2> 4@>6D :?] p?86= %C66 4@??64ED :?42C46C2E65 A2C6?ED H:E9 E96:C 49:=5C6? 3J 56=:G6C:?8 r9C:DE>2D 8:7ED @? 3692=7 @7 E96 A2C6?E E9C@F89 E96 =@42= 49FC49] {2DE J62C ?62C=J c__[___ 49:=5C6? C646:G65 r9C:DE>2D AC6D6?ED[ 2?5 E96 AC@8C2> 92D 2 8@2= @7 AC6D6?E:?8 8:7ED E@ cfd[___ 49:=5C6? E9:D J62C] p r9C:DE>2D 8:7E 7C@> 2 A2C6?E D9@HD 49:=5C6? =:<6 p?86= #26 E92E E96J 2C6 =@G65 – ?@E 7@C8@EE6?]k^Am
kAm%@ >2<6 2? 6G6? =2C86C :>A24E[ 6G6CJ 5@?2E:@? @7 S`a]dg H:== 96=A AC@G:56 2 8:7E 7@C EH@ 49:=5C6?[ E92?<D E@ 2 >2E49:?8 8C2?E AC@8C2>] %9C@F89 E96 p?86= %C66 AC@8C2>[ =@42= G@=F?E66CD D6=64E 8:7ED 6DA64:2==J 7@C 49:=5C6? :? ?665 @7 2 E2?8:3=6 C6>:?56C @7 E96 =@G6 @7 2 A2C6?E]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^96=A2?86=EC66]4@>Qmw6=A 2 49:=5k^2m E9:D 9@=:52J D62D@? – 3J 8:G:?8 E96> 2? F?7@C86EE23=6 r9C:DE>2D 7:==65 H:E9 ;@J 2?5 9@A6] r9:=5C6? =:<6 p?86= #26 H:== <?@H E92E E96J’C6 =@G65[ 2?5 36 =6DD =@?6=J 5FC:?8 r9C:DE>2D E92?<D E@ J@FC 86?6C@D:EJ]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`ec_eU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`ec_eU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
