Children of incarcerated parents: how a mentoring program can make a difference

In spite of the rapid increase in the U.S. prison population, with subsequent increase of parent-prisoners, there are few requirements that social systems serving children take note of a parent's incarceration. Thus the special needs of children of incarcerated parents are almost invisible. Given the multiple risks that these children experience, it is critical to recognize community programs that can help bridge the difficulties children face during their parents' incarceration. This article reports the outcome of a mentoring program specifically targeted to these children. The results show that although mentoring cannot address all of the issues facing these children, it can produce positive outcomes that may mitigate some of the risks associated with being a child of an incarcerated parent.