Our Impact
Prevalence of Incarcerated Parents:
- Total Number of Incarcerated Parents: In 2016, approximately 684,500 individuals in state and federal prisons were parents to at least one minor child.
bjs.ojp.gov - Gender Breakdown:
- Fathers: 626,800 incarcerated fathers.
- Mothers: 57,700 incarcerated mothers.
Black Americans are incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of white Americans. Despite representing about 13% of the U.S. population, Black people make up around 33% of the U.S. prison population. This represents a deep racial imbalance that speaks to systemic discrimination.
Racial Disparities:
- Likelihood of Parental Incarceration:
- Black children are approximately eight times more likely to have an incarcerated parent compared to white children.
- Latino children are about three times more likely to experience parental incarceration than their white peers. en.wikipedia.org
Lifetime Impact:
- Cumulative Effect: By 2018, more than 5 million children had experienced parental incarceration at some point in their lives. afcoip.org
Juvenile & Reentry Statistics
- Nearly 53,000 juveniles are held in detention centers, with Black youth being 5 times more likely to be incarcerated than White youth.
- 70% of formerly incarcerated individuals are re-arrested within 5 years due to systemic barriers to employment, housing, and education.
Our Partners
