CHILDREN OF INCARCARATED PARENTS

(C.O.I.P)

Introduction of C.O.I.P.

Children of Incarcerated Parents (C.O.I.P.), is a nonprofit advocacy organization raising awareness about children who are dealing with anger, shame, guilt, anxiety and abandonment issues because of a parent, who is currently or has been incarcerated. The organization is located at 6285 Paseo, Kansas City MO 65130.

Mission Statement

“Mending the broken heart and healing the soul of Children Of Incarcerated Parents”

Who is in Prison?

• In 2007, 2.3 million people were held in Federal or State prisons; 200,000 women and more than 2.2 million men.• African-Americans constitute 900,000 of the

population.• From 1995 to 2005, the number of women in

prison nationwide has increased by 57%.

Who is in Prison?

• There are now more than 7 million Americans incarcerated, on probation/parole, in comparison to 500,000 in 1980.• Blacks make up 12.3% of U.S. population but are

43.9% of the State and Federal prison population. • Whites are 69% of the U.S. population and make

up 34.7% of those incarcerated.

Who is expected to go?

• One in every 3 Black males One in every 6 Latino males One in every 17 White males

Population of Offenders with Childrenin the Missouri System of Corrections

PopulationOffenders with

DependentsOffenders with

ChildrenNumber of Children

Female Offenders

2,728 2,216 763 1,482

Male Offenders

28,484 16,735 7,090 13,365

Total 31,212 18,951 7,853 14,847

Population of Offenders with ChildrenIn the Missouri System of CorrectionsSentenced by Jackson County

PopulationOffenders with

DependentsOffenders with

ChildrenNumber of Children

Female Offenders

122 50 19 41

Male Offenders 3,054 1,267 615 1,179

Total 3,176 1,317 634 1,220

Affects on Children

What do you know about children with parents in prison?• In 2007, more than 1.7 million children had a

parent in prison or jail. • Nearly 10 million children have a parent who is or

has been under some form of criminal justice supervisor.• In 2007, 1 in 43 (2.3%) of children had a parent

incarcerated in a State or Federal prison.

Affects on Children

• One in 15 Black children and one in 42 Latino children had a parent in prison compared to one in 111 White children

• Approximately, half of children with incarcerated parents are under 10 years old. 2% of incarcerated parents and 8-10% of mothers have children in foster care.

Affects on Children

Information from one study on children in foster care with parents in prison provides the following data:• 25% of children live with their fathers when a

mother goes to prison.• 90% of children remain with their mothers when

the father is incarcerated.• 50% of children with an incarcerated mother live

with their grandmother.

Affects on Children

Children of incarcerated parents mourn the loss of their parent. Witnessing the arrest of a parent intensifies the child’s loss, sense of helplessness and create additional trauma.

Many children of incarcerated parents exhibit symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Social stigma causes families to avoid discussion the absence of a parent. Being kept in the dark can influence children emotionally and psychologically and impact the restoration of parent/child relations, when the parent in prison is released.

Affects on Children

Center for Disease Control and Prevention:- PTSD also impacts urban youth and makes it harder for

them to learn. - 30% inner city children suffer from PTSD which they

contracted from living in violent neighborhood. - This form of PTSD has been nicknamed “hood disease” by

doctors.

What make this disease detrimental is the children, unlike soldiers never get to leave the battlefield. It’s a storm where the children do not get their needs met in a number of ways.

Our Program

Goal/Purpose: Children of Incarcerated Parents goal is to help in the healing process; Helping children and families stay connected. The purpose of the organization is to stop regeneration and help with reunification. Our target population are children ages 5-18 years old.

How will this be accomplished?: By providing Individual and group counseling with education, prevention and intervention classes, video visitation and transportation.

Our Program

Why are the services important? The individual/group counseling allows children the opportunity in which they can thrive and confront their feelings about various issues due to their parent being or has been incarcerated. It will provide an environment with others who share their experiences and can be very beneficial to the overall mental health of the children.

The support groups provide an environment with others who share their experiences and can be very beneficial to the overall mental health of the children. The group allows the children to attend outings together which may include but are not limited to the zoo, college trips, basketball games, movies, etc.

Our Program

Methodologies used:Individual therapeutic intervention which is called Trauma-Focused Cognitive (TF-CBT) identified by SAMHSA and OJJDP as a model program.

TFC-BT is designed to help children and their parents overcome the negative effects of traumatic life events including loss of a love one as well as exposure to abuse and violence. It is conducted through 12-16 sequential, one-on-one therapy sessions. The program’s focus is to enhance interpersonal trust and re-empowerment.

Our Program

Curriculum (life skills, a best practice) designed to focus on improving the behavior, attendance and academic performance of the participating children.

The intent is to develop a solid curriculum that can be used in all schools so the children do not fall into the cycle of following their parent to prison.

Curriculum

Curriculum Objectives:

Personal - self-esteem and self confidence, managing personal risks, managing health and well-being, setting and achieving appropriate goals, making decision effectively, and skills development.

Social - include being able to work in a team, taking on leadership opportunities, conflict resolution skills, listening skills and engagement with community.

Our Program

Collaborative planning efforts:

Health and human services, school systems, the courts, faith-based organizations, and Probation and Parole.

All organizations are a central part to - identifying children and connecting them with appropriate services. - improving the lives and outcomes of children- particularly important for schools as it might help to explain behavior and academic

performance issues.

Our Program

• C.O.I.P. put focus on helping children to succeed.• Special Needs:

Our Program

Focus On Helping Children And Youth succeed!!!In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunities of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right that must be made available on equal terms. – Chief Justice Earl Warren, Brown v. Board Of Education (1954).

Our Program

• Helping Children of Incarcerated Parent succeed through the path of education.• Addressing Needs: Identifying and Referrals.• Create a “Winner Circle” Scholarship.• Unmet need (gap)• It is estimated that the cost of one youth dropping

out of high school and entering a life of crime or drug abuse is $1.7 to 2.3 million dollars.• “Each One, Teach One.”

REMEMBER!!

• Right or wrong- children love their parents• Almost all offenders return to their communities and the

majority regain custody or attempt to engage in a relationship with their children• Action must be taken to break the generational cycle in

families.