Final Report for the Criminology Research Council (original) (raw)
Related papers
Australian Social Work, 2010
This paper reports otr L7 stu(l' .funded by the Criminology Reseorch Council, Australia, which set out to int,estigote tlrc intersection between the child protection and criminal iustice systems and tlte cfietft to which children before the Melbourne Children's Court on child protection nt(ltters had a parent currently in prison, awaiting sentencing, or previously in prisott.)[tt,Tistrntes identified 156 children as meetingthese criteria during the study period hne to Decentber, 2006. Analysis of court records gathered quantitative and qualitative dattt tlbotr parents' offending, why the children had been brought to the attention of the cottrt, nnd the health, welfare, and behavioural concerns the child protection service expressed about the children. There was no coordinated response by the child protection nnrl .ittstrce systems to managing these children's situations' Early intervention and the development of child protection service protocols with the corrections system .ior children whose parents enter prison is essential, to better address the instability and disnqtion in care these children experience.
Parents as Prisoners: Maintaining the Parent-child Relationship
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2008
3.16 Welfare Agencies 3.17 Vignettes Chapter Four: Discussion 4.1 The children and their parents 4.2 Care arrangements for the children 4.3 The intersection between child welfare and justice systems. 4.4 Child protection and parental imprisonment 4.5 Limitations of the Study 4.6 Implications for Future Research and Public Policy References This study has been made possible by the generous support of the Criminology Research Council with project grant CRC 39/05-06 to undertake the study Parents as Prisoners: maintaining the parent-child relationship in the Melbourne Children's Court, Victoria.
The Impact of Incarceration on Children's Care: A Strategic Framework for Good Care Planning
In order to examine current care planning experiences and practices for children whose primary carers are arrested and imprisoned in Victoria and New South Wales, this multi-method study gathered primary data from 151 imprisoned primary carers, 27 carers, three children and two adult children, along with 124 professional stakeholders. Secondary data was sought from both statutory and non-government organisations about imprisoned parents and children. Relevant rights, legislative and policy documents were also reviewed. It is clear that numbers of parents being imprisoned are increasing, as are the number of children affected, yet this group remains hidden and relatively few children and families appear to access relevant support. Little data has been collected from statutory bodies about this group of children, and responses tend to be ad hoc and based on worker knowledge and experience. The findings of the study suggest there are key crisis points during a parent’s journey through the criminal justice system – arrest, remand, sentencing, imprisonment and release – with little formal attention paid to children at each of these stages. A lack of formal protocols and guidelines concerning children, along with limited inter-agency communication, means responsibility for children is poorly placed and coordinated, with children typically not recognised or seen. Children most affected by parental incarceration are typically young – primary school aged - and most are required to move from their family home when their primary carer parent is imprisoned. While contact between the incarcerated parent and the child is generally maintained, there is often no specific follow up or support for children or their carers and they often do not feature in any pre-release planning. For incarcerated primary carer parents, findings suggest clear gender differences exist within the criminal justice system in terms of parenting support. While mothers are offered a range of parenting services and support, fathers are offered very little support of this kind and are arguably less prepared when returning to a parenting role in the community. The study did uncover, however, examples of good practice within this process and opportunities for positive intervention at every stage. Findings indicate that when discussions about children take place between parents and professionals, parents are more satisfied with the placement of their children, with better outcomes for children. The recommendations provided are made at each of the defined crisis points, and place children at the centre of the process whilst acknowledging incarcerated primary carer parents. These recommendations focus on the implementation of holistic services at each stage of the prison trajectory and would allow potential clients to seek assistance if, and when, it is needed. It is also recommended that data gathering processes are prioritised within key organisations, to more accurately understand the scope of the issue and to better address the needs of children. Recommendations also focus on areas for further research.
2014
3.3.10 Children interviewed alone; with siblings; or with parents/carers 89 3.3.11 Reflections on interviews 91 3.4 Developing a thematic analysis 93 3.4.1 Analysing interview data 93 3.4.2 Triangulation 94 3.4.3 Interpretation of Interview data 95 3.4.4 Categories and patterns 96 3.4.5 Narratives and key themes 97 3.5 Ethical and practice issues 3.5.1 Ethical approval 3.5.2 Practice issues arising from interviews 3.5.3 Participants' reaction to interviews 3.6 Researcher's Gaze: participants seen, and timings of interviews 3.6.1 Participants seen; and other children and relatives not seen 3.6.2 Timing of Interviews 3.7 Notes on pseudonyms and terms used 4. Children's experiences of parental imprisonment: resilience, trauma and recovery. 4.1 Children's resilience and vulnerability: a preliminary overview 4.1.1 Demographic analysis 4.1.2 Home stability and domestic violence 4.1.3 Children's welfare: future prospects 4.1.4 Intelligence, school progress and behaviour problems 4.1.5 Emotional intelligence 4.1.6 Needing and receiving help 4.1.7 Schools and Agency support 4.1.8 Main findings from Table 3 4.2 The trauma of separation; and survival 4.3 Recalling Arrest and Imprisonment 4.4 Impact of parental offences 4.5 Children's experience of stigma 4.6 Multiple loss; multiple problems 4.7 Impact of separation on children 4.8 Factors linked to emotional harm experienced by children 4.9 Children's recovery from the impact of parental imprisonment 4.10 Children's emotional intelligence: handling feelings about imprisonment 4.10.1 Children trying to handle their feelings 4.10.2 The significance of parents' example for children's adjustment 4.10.3 Children's ambivalent responses 4.10.4 Learning disabilities and emotional intelligence 4.10.5 Holding feelings in check: and the use of understatement 4.10.6 Importance of privacy and caution in handling parental imprisonment 4.10.7 More open approaches to handling parental imprisonment 4.11 The "steeling effect"; and adaptive distancing 4.11.1 The steeling effect 4.11.2 Adaptive distancing 4.12 Children's contact with their imprisoned parent 4.13 Parental imprisonment and the significance of gender 4.13.1 Girls with their mother in prison 4.13.2 Girls with their father in prison 4.13.3 Boys with their mother in prison 4.13.4 Boys with their father in prison 4.13.5 Main themes emerging about gender 4.13.6 Like father, like son? 4.14 Family Structure: implications for children of prisoners 4.14.1 Findings from previous research 4.14.2 Experiences of 'Only' children 4.14.3 Experiences of Siblings 4.14.4 Relationship between children's age and their vulnerability 4.14.5 Main themes emerging relating to family structure 4.15 Dominant themes in this chapter 5. Care giving parents: roles, support and family policy.
Slipping through the cracks: Examining the realities of a child-friendly prison system
Children and Youth Services Review, 2017
Introduction: The health effects for children with incarcerated parents, and methods to improve children's experience of the justice system, are under-researched areas. While some work has been done to illuminate these concerns, practical implementation of a "child-friendly prison" has been slow. Aims: A Health Directorate-funded project examining children's interactions with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) justice system was conducted in 2013, which made a number of recommendations. The current study sought to examine the ongoing impacts of parental incarceration for children in the ACT and follow up on the recommendations. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven key stakeholders with a relationship to the research area. The interviews were summarised, and a thematic analysis was carried out to identify relevant ideas. Results from recent Detainee Health and Welfare Surveys were used to estimate the number of children affected. Results: The findings from the interviews concluded that little action was taken in response to the original report, that children's rights and agency were compromised, that the prison lacked accessibility, that consistent and individualised information should be provided to affected children, and that a previously operational homework program should be reinstated. Model facilities were identified. Conclusion: Three broadly-applicable recommendations were made in response to the data from the surveys: increasing accessibility of public transport, the establishment of a child liaison officer at prisons, and maintaining extended family visits.
Children and Youth Services Review, 2012
In Australia, the children of incarcerated parents are a growing and vulnerable population at risk for life adversity and social inequity. There is little understanding of these children's experiences, perceived risks, reported outcomes and needs. There is also a lack of knowledge regarding evidence-based interventions that can address the multiple risk factors to which these children may be exposed. The aim of this study was to provide insight into the multiple perspectives of children with incarcerated parents, their carers, parents and service providers so that social and health programs may be tailored to best serve their needs. We undertook an integrative literature review of qualitative research studies using a narrative synthesis methodology to explore the effect of parental incarceration upon the social and health outcomes of children and perceptions of interventions designed to support them. Findings revealed that children of incarcerated parents grieved their parent's absence which they reported had a profound effect on their behavior and resulted in exposure to discrimination, violence and abuse. However, resiliency was manifested by a number of coping strategies that could be harnessed to better support the children and young adults of incarcerated parents. Rigorous and innovative intervention studies are required to better inform comprehensive evidence-based policy and practice.