From Prison to Home:
The Effect of Incarceration on Children, Families, and Communities

Conference Report

Prepared for:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)

By:
The Urban Institute:
Marcia Festen, principal author
and
Justice Policy Center:
Michelle Waul, Amy Solomon, and Jeremy Travis

January 2002

This report is available on the Internet at:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/prison2home02/conf-sum/

Printer Friendly Version in PDF format (87 pages)

How to Obtain a Printed Copy

Disclaimer: This report presents a summary of the presentations and discussions at the state symposium held by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation on November 21, 2001 and the From Prison to Home conference held at the National Institutes of Health Natcher Conference Center on January 30 and 31, 2002. These activities were conducted by the Urban Institute under contract HHS-100-99-0003, TO #12 with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report presents the views and opinions of the symposium and conference participants and does not necessarily represent the views, positions, and policies of the Urban Institute or of the funding agencies, the Office of the Assistance Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapters:

  1. Introduction to the From Prison to Home Project
  2. Children and Families of Incarcerated Adults: What's at Stake?
  3. Who Are the Children and Families Affected by Incarceration and Reentry?
    1. Incarcerated Parents and Their Families
    2. The Community Context
  4. What Are the Consequences of Incarceration and Reentry for Children, Families and Communities?
    1. The Incarceration Period
    2. Reentry into the Family and Community
  5. Community Connections: What is the Role of Service Systems and Social Capital in Helping to Restore Families?
  6. From Prison to Home: What Are the Implications for Program Interventions and Research?

Post Script

Appendices:

  1. Technical Review Group
  2. State Symposium
    1. Symposium Agenda
    2. Symposium Participants and Observers
  3. From Prison to Home Conference
    1. Conference Agenda
    2. Conference Participants

Acknowledgments

The Prison to Home project was made possible because of the contributions and hard work of more than 400 researchers, practitioners, policymakers, analysts and advocates from the public and private sectors of the criminal justice and human services systems. Helping to frame the issues and ensure a balanced approach was a Technical Review Group comprised of individuals from 30 federal agencies, professional associations and advocacy organizations. Eighteen State officials from Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin took time out of their very busy schedules to travel to Washington D.C. to provide insights from their states experiences in developing innovated practices that linked criminal justice and health and human services systems. The eleven commissioned papers on the effects of parental incarceration on children, families and communities were reviewed by three dozen experts from various disciplines and perspectives throughout the public and private sectors. About 350 individuals participated in the Prisons to Home conference itself, including Assistant Secretaries in the Federal Government, Agency Heads at the State level, nationally recognized academic and program experts, federal and state program and policy staff, and researchers and program practitioners from Massachusetts to California. From the plenary sessions to the small group breakout sessions to the networking discussions over lunch and break, comments were thoughtful, perspectives diverse, and the excitement palpable. Lastly, special thanks are owed to the HHS federal project officers, Evvie Becker and Linda Mellgren of the Office of Human Services Policy, ASPE, and Ulonda Shamwell, Women, Children, and Family Team, SAMHSA, for their vision and perseverance throughout the life of the project.

How to Obtain a Printed Copy

To obtain a printed copy of this report, send the title and your mailing information to:

Human Services Policy, Room 404E
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20201

Fax:  (202) 690-6562

You may also print the PDF version (87 pages).

Where to?

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Main Page of Report | Contents of Report

Home Pages:
Project Home Page
Human Services Policy (HSP)
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Last updated: 04/19/07