NCJ Number
145719
Date Published
1993
Length
42 pages
Annotation
This booklet guides professionals and volunteers who work with families in helping them enhance family ties for the benefit of children of incarcerated parents.
Abstract
The first section discusses why maintaining the connection between children and incarcerated parents benefits both inmates and children. In the second section, the author considers empowerment of the relationships between incarcerated parents and their children through the power of information. Information on the physical requirements of contact is important. Such information includes the rules, customs, and culture that govern contact with inmates by mail, phone, and in person. The third section discusses the power of preparation and what it takes to prepare a child for a visit. The power of conversation is discussed in the fourth section. This section addresses the quality or content of the communication between children and their incarcerated parents, whether by phone, mail, or in person. Effective communication is crucial in fostering beneficial relationships between incarcerated parents and their children. The conclusion summarizes the power of communication, because letters, phone calls, and visits only provide a possibility of strengthening families. Effective communication requires not only a means of access to one another but a commitment to the kind of listening and speaking that makes a difference, empowers relationships, and allows for real family ties.