Lessen the Harm to Families Caused by the Incarceration of their Loved Ones
Of course, public safety sometimes requires the incarceration of individuals who commit violent crimes. This incarceration doesn’t happen in a vacuum, however, and it causes pain and hardship to family members who are left behind. The children of incarcerated parents are more likely to suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Their families are plagued by economic instability. A breakdown in the parent-child relationship that can occur during incarceration contributes to a variety of negative outcomes, including increased criminal behavior in our next generation.
Kim wants to continue to expand victims’ services to offer assistance to people who are victims of the criminal justice system. She wants to offer families of the incarcerated:
- the opportunity to participate in programming to address the emotional impact on children of being separated from their parent
- job training and placement assistance for caregivers of children with incarcerated parents
- the enhanced ability for children to maintain contact with their incarcerated loved ones, by advocating for child-friendly visitation conditions at the jail and free telephone calls
