For some moms, Mother's Day, coming soon on May 11th, is just one more day their children spend behind bars. They are unable to celebrate with their children and instead spend the day worrying about the futures of their children. Please join the Campaign for Youth Justice in making this Mother's Day special for the mothers of incarcerated youth. Here is what you can do:
-Check out the "Mother's Day Toolkit" which provides ideas and sample materials for recognizing mothers, connecting mothers and their children on Mother's Day, and raising awareness about this important issue. The toolkit is available online at:
http://www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/advocacy_center.html.
-Nominate a mom you know who has worked to reform the juvenile justice system or change the practice of trying, sentencing, and incarcerating youth in the adult criminal justice system. The Campaign for Youth Justice and the National Juvenile Justice Network will be honoring these mothers on Mother's Day 2008. To nominate a mom, please fill out the nomination, available online at:
http://www.campaignforyouthjustice.org/advocacy_center.html
and submit it according to the instructions on the form.
Audio: Children with Incarcerated Mothers
The February 14 Thursday's Child public policy forum in Washington, DC, explored the needs of children whose mothers are in prison. Current estimates indicate that on any given day, more than 150,000 children have a mother in prison.
Chapin Hall senior researcher Amy Dworsky discussed research that found most children with incarcerated mothers are cared for by relatives. Of the few children who are in foster care, most were placed there before their mother's incarceration, indicating prior problems in the home.Other panelists discussed how having an incarcerated mother affects a child differently than having an incarcerated father, programs that serve this population of children, and how Maryland's corrections department changed its policies to address the needs of incarcerated mothers and their children.
Listen to the audio recording
http://www.about.chapinhall.org/conferences/urban/feb2008/presentations.html
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