Currently over 5 million children have experienced having parents behind bars in the United States. The Annie E. Casey Foundation reports that the children are more likely to have anxiety and depression, but the needs of the children and their caregivers are largely ignored.
One Family, a program that operates in San Francisco County jails, focuses on addressing this challenge by strengthening the bond between incarcerated parents and their children.
Most county jails restrict visits to non-contact, glass partitions. One Family is among the few programs that allows contact visits in order to strengthen the parent-child bond.
Other program components include parenting classes, individual therapy and a partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District.
During 90-minute weekly visits, parents and children are guided to age-appropriate activities like reading, drawing, games and crafts to encourage communication.
Maintaining parental contact reduces the mental health issues associated with having an incarcerated parent and can reduce recidivism by 13%, according to one study.
One Family, a model for the Urban Institute's toolkit for family-focused jail programs, hoped to expand nationwide.
Design research identified weaknesses in the program that prevented expansion, but also pointed to numerous opportunities to strengthen the program. Management was restructured and staff salary was increased by as much as 17%.
The San Francisco Chronicle published a special report featuring One Family, entitled Bonding Behind Bars.
All photos by Lea Suzuki, The San Francisco Chronicle