NCJ Number
207025
Date Published
2000
Length
16 pages
Annotation
A series of eight "Fact Sheets" identify various barriers that face parents with criminal records, and strategies for addressing these barriers are proposed.
Abstract
The first report presents facts on parents with criminal records. It notes that many children have ex-offender parents; increasing numbers of parents, particularly mothers, have been incarcerated; African-American and Hispanic families are disproportionately affected; and ex-offender parents need assistance to rebuild their lives. The second report focuses on ex-offenders being barred from jobs. It proposes ways to improve employment possibilities for ex-offenders without undermining legitimate employer and societal concerns about security risks posed by ex-offenders. The third report examines the barrier to housing experienced by low-income families that have a parent with a criminal record. Proposed remedies protect the well-being of other tenants, neighbors, and landlords without the current harsh, automatic denials of housing to needy families. The fourth report considers the barrier to education and proposes lifting the ban on financial aid for higher education. Remaining reports propose making public benefits accessible to parents with criminal records, making ex-offender child support obligations more realistic, helping incarcerated parents stay involved with their children, and softening the policy and impact of deportation for families of ex-offender immigrants.