IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 322 

Recognizing the importance of providing services to children of incarcerated 

parents. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 17, 2015 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. CLAY, Mr. 

CLEAVER, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, 

Mr. ELLISON, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. NORTON, 

Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. JEFFRIES, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. LEE, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. 

PLASKETT, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. RUSH, Mr. THOMPSON of 

Mississippi, Mr. VEASEY, Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, and Ms. WILSON of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of providing services to children 

of incarcerated parents. 

Whereas the number of children with an incarcerated parent 

has increased nearly 80 percent in the past 20 years; 

Whereas an estimated 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 children have 

a parent in State or Federal prison, yet few resources 

exist to support young children and families coping with 

this life-changing circumstance; 


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Whereas studies suggest that 30 to 50 percent of incarcerated fathers do not see their children while they are in 

prison; 

Whereas research suggests that children of incarcerated parents may struggle more with academic achievement and 

behavioral problems than their peers who do not have a 

parent in the criminal justice system; 

Whereas children of incarcerated parents are 6 times more 

likely than their peers to be incarcerated themselves at 

some point throughout their lives; 

Whereas children of incarcerated parents need guidance on 

how to express emotions related to absent parents, while 

their caregivers need help maintaining routines and establishing age-appropriate communication around incarceration; and 

Whereas providing children with coping strategies and additional emotional resources, such as mentors, trained 

teachers, skilled counselors, and strong foster families 

can help them feel comforted and secure throughout this 

difficult time: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the unique challenges facing chil3 dren who are growing up with one or both parents 

4 in prison; 

5 (2) recognizes the need for more research and 

6 guidance on the impact of children interacting with 

7 the criminal justice system; 

8 (3) recognizes that more resources and services, 

9 such as schools, afterschool programs, mentors, 


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1 health care providers, and the juvenile justice system 

2 need to target the specific needs of children of incar3 cerated parents in order to reduce the cycle of fami4 lies in the criminal justice system; 

5 (4) recognizes the needs for capacity-building 

6 training for service providers to address the needs of 

7 this population; 

8 (5) supports research and the building of com9 munity partnerships to provide a comprehensive plan 

10 to meet the needs of individual children struggling 

11 to balance the difficulties of academic, social, and 

12 economic stability while a parent is incarcerated; 

13 (6) supports law enforcement training programs 

14 that will factor in the emotional and physical well15 being of children when their parents are arrested; 

16 (7) recognizes the needs to provide parents with 

17 constructive skill building programs so that, when 

18 appropriate, they can maintain a healthy relation19 ship with their children while in prison and after re20 lease; 

21 (8) supports strengthening the access parents 

22 have to health care, education, housing, and job 

23 training services so that they can be productive role 

24 models for their children post-release from a correc25 tional institution; and 


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1 (9) supports research into the use of technology 

2 to explore alternative means for communication with 

3 the goal of maintaining bonds between incarcerated 

4 parents and their children when appropriate. 

Æ 


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