RECAP Newsletter

Issue 44: August 2008                                             

The Children of Prisoners – the Hidden Victims of Crime

In our collective zeal to condemn lawbreakers, we have inadvertently condemned their children.
Verna McFelin, Chief Executive, PILLARS

This week saw the passage into law of the Corrections (Mothers and Babies) Amendment Bill, which attracted unanimous support across all parties. The bill aims to extend the period of time during which some mothers can keep their babies with them in prison from the current six months to 24 months. It will also open the way for some remand and high security-classified women prisoners to be able to keep their babies with them, something that has never been the case before. To read more, click here.

This is a small but significant reform – that it went largely unnoticed by the media and the public is also significant. The children of prisoners are not seen as victims in the public debate – their special plight remains unrecognized and unacknowledged by government agencies, victim support agencies, and those advocating for victims’ rights. Yet their suffering at the hands of the criminal justice system and the law abiding community are significant. In the USA it is estimated that one in fifty children have a parent in prison (for more information go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/pptmc.htm ) We conservatively estimate that 10,000 New Zealand children are similarly affected. We don’t know for sure, because the statistics are not collected. We do know however, that the children of prisoners are between 6 – 7 times more likely to become prisoners, than the children of non-prisoners.

This week’s guest contributor Verna McFelin, Chief Executive of PILLARS, has a special interest in the rights of prisoners’ children, and the effect of imprisonment on children and families. PILLARS Inc, is an innovative long term, prevention programme serving children with a parent in prison. Established in 1988, services are delivered by professional social workers and volunteer mentors utilizing the natural and professional networks already available to the child, their parents and their family / whanau through a family wraparound which encompasses one on one social work support, children of prisoners mentoring, supported accommodation (Auckland only) and strengthening families meetings.

In her article, Verna describes the experiences of children with the criminal justice system, and the stigmatisation such children endure, from their peers, the school, and the wider community. As she puts it:

“The children of prisoners have committed no crime, but the penalty they are forced to pay is steep. They forfeit too often, much of what matters to them; their homes, their safety, their public status and private self-image - their primary source of comfort and affection. They are innocent victims, their lives filled with instability and uncertainty and damaged by stigma and shame.”

Verna makes a number of recommendation’s to improve current procedures and systems. She then refers to the San Francisco Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership (SFCPIP) which has been lobbying for a Bill of Rights that entitles these children to not be judged, blamed or labeled and to have a lifelong relationship with their parent. Since SFCPIP published its proposed Bill of Rights in 2003 it has been widely distributed and used in venues around USA to educate the public, provoke discussion and train service providers.

The examples provided by PILLARS support the case for a review of children’s rights, in relation to their imprisoned parents.

You can read Verna McFelin’s article here.

To find out more about PILLARS, click here: http://www.pillars.org.nz/index.php

Do Prisoner’s Care About their Children ?

Those who work in prison will tell you that one of the main reasons prisoners give for wanting to reform, is “to be a better Dad (or Mum) to their kids”. Parenting programmes in prisons are extremely popular, and both male and female prisoners engage in discussion about parenting at an intense and commited level.

Recently a volunteer prison librarian ran a creative writing programme for prisoners, and invited them to write on the topic " Great Hopes Make Great Men – What are Your Hopes for the Future” . The following contribution, is characteristic of the heartfelt hopes prisoners have for their children.

I have hopes, I've had hopes,
and still I hope for more
cause the things inside me now I feel,
are the truest hopes of all

I hope my son will grow up strong,
his attitude not like mine,
to see the bad things that I've done
and refuse to pay them any mind,

I hope he can forgive me
for all the years I've missed,
the unattended birthday parties,
the lack of Christmas gifts,

I hope he knows I love him-
love him more than anything's been loved-
A love that's unconditional
boy, I really hope he does,

I hope, I hope,
I wish, I wish,
and sometimes even pray,
cause hope has many faces
that can help you through the day,

See, hope is such a powerful thing,
to have it's to be strong,
So I'm strong with hope it's not too late
to right the things done wrong

Some say hope could change the world,
that hope will get us through,
so I take what hope I have inside ,
my son,
and change my life for you.

The Prison System and its Effects – Wherefrom, Whereto, and Why?

Emeritus Professor A.J.W. (Tony) Taylor, a perpetually young 83 year old, recently launched a fascinating overview of the development of the New Zealand Prison System. “The Prison System and its Effects – Wherefrom, Whereto, and Why?” published by Nova Science Publishers, Inc, New York, is available here

Judge D.J. Carruthers, in his preface to the book , sums it up nicely.

This book is not only a history; it is also an exploration of more complex managerial and social policies that have brought us to where we are now. As such, it raises psychological issues of isolation in all shades of confinement, captivity, and deprivation that will appeal to everyone who is trying to grapple with the administrative, clinical and legal problems they create…………..I commend this work to any thoughtful student of the many disciplines that interact in prison settings everywhere, and to all who have a desire to see their country among leaders of principled reform in this difficult area”.

The book was launched on the 26th August, by the Hon Phil Goff, Minister of Corrections. In his speech, the Minister makes the point that

“while imprisonment is a punishment, it is not a deterrent to offenders. Most offenders do not think about the consequences of their actions. Imprisonment protects the community from the actions of the offender while incarcerated. By itself, it does not however change behaviour and thus does not protect the community against future offending.”

Read the Minister’s speech here. It sums up his views nicely.
 

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