NCJ Number
174111
Date Published
1996
Length
33 pages
Annotation
A project initiated by the Maryland Department of Human Resources sought to bridge the gap between the child welfare and criminal justice systems and enhance the services provided to incarcerated parents and their children.
Abstract
The project's first phase aimed to ensure stakeholders' recognition of the importance of addressing the special needs of incarcerated parents and their children; to develop a collaborative relationship with the criminal justice system; and to identify existing resources that can serve as the foundation for a more comprehensive strategy for working with incarcerated parents and their families. Staff collected background information; convened a focus group of professionals who worked with incarcerated parents and their children; and visited Maryland's only State prison for women and three detention centers with Family to Family programs. Results revealed that both systems serve the same women and families. In addition, successful drug treatment and efforts to heal fractured families can reduce recidivism and preserve and reunify more families. Thus, both systems have a common interest in encourage mothers involved in the criminal justice system to live sober lives and develop new skills to enable them to cope with the pressures of living in their communities and raising their children. Both systems also have common interests in providing opportunities for mothers to maintain and build relationships with their children, in helping their children heal from the trauma they experienced, and helping mothers establish a comprehensive community support network and reunify their families. Recommendations and appended background information and additional findings