At the U.S. Capitol today, United States Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) delivered remarks on “the bipartisan commitment to ensure that the effect of incarceration on children and families is not lost in the national debate on criminal justice reform,” as announced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Casey Foundation, reviewed the findings and recommendations of the KIDS COUNT policy report, A Shared Sentence: The Devastating Toll of Parental Incarceration on Kids, Families and Communities. More than 5 million children have experienced the separation of a parent due to incarceration and many struggle with emotional and financial instability as a result. To address these challenges, the report makes proposals designed to ensure children are supported while parents are incarcerated and after they return, to connect parents who have returned to the community with pathways to employment, and to strengthen communities disproportionately affected by incarceration and reentry.
A panel discussion moderated by Lisa Hamilton, vice president of External Affairs at the Casey Foundation, followed the initial remarks and covered the work of practitioners, the faith community, and the philanthropic sector in addressing the needs of children and families affected by incarceration.
Panelists included:
Tanya Krupat, program director New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents, Osborne Association
Rev. Alvin Herring, deputy director, PICO
Ana Yáñez-Correa, Criminal Justice program director, Public Welfare Foundation
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