When a parent is incarcerated. . . Children's lives are disrupted . . . Incarcerated mothers were often the sole caregivers for their children. When they become incarcerated, their children's living arrangements become disrupted and uncertain. These children are often separated from their siblings and may experience erratic shifts in caregivers.
Children lose contact with their parents . . .
For children, the most devastating aspect of parental incarceration is the lack of contact they have with their parents. Half of children with incarcerated mothers never visit their mothers in prison. The other half visit infrequently. Prison visits are difficult . . . One of the major barriers to visitation is geographical proximity.