What are the Effects of Parental Incarceration on Children?

Today, there are millions of U.S. children with parents behind bars. So, what happens to these children when one or more parent is sent to prison or jail? When a parent is incarcerated, undue burden and stress are placed upon the children as well as their caregivers.  Emotional, financial, health care and education related consequences are seen with an incarcerated parent.  These effects are not the same for all children; negative effects vary depending on several factors, such as the parent-child relationship prior to incarceration and additional non-parental support outside of the home. Frequently, these families are already at a disadvantage; living below the poverty line, living in neighborhoods where drug abuse and crime is rampant.  What can we do to lessen the disadvantage that these children face? How do we halt the cycle of incarceration that can be seen in these families? These children deserve to have a voice, yet many of the programs that have been established to sup