Every Second 1 in 2 adults in America has had a family member in jail or prison. This is an incarceration crisis.
1 in 2 people in the United States has had an immediate family member incarcerated.Despite recent limited declines, our jail and prison populations are four times larger than in 1980.
And the US continues to incarcerate more people than any other country in the world.
1 in 4 has had a sibling incarcerated
1 in 5 has had a parent incarcerated
1 in 7 has had a spouse or co-parent incarcerated
1 in 8 has had a child incarcerated
113 million adults in America have had an immediate family member incarcerated and, right now, 6.5 million adults have an immediate family member currently incarcerated in jail or prison.
Incarceration doesn’t care about a family’s political beliefs.
In fact, rates of family incarceration are nearly identical for Republicans (43 percent) and Democrats (45 percent).
Families Are Losing Time
The time the incarceration crisis takes from America’s families can’t be replaced. Whether it’s one night or a lifetime, a missed holiday meal or a missed childhood, every family impacted by over-incarceration feels its negative effects.
While short periods of incarceration and long prison sentences pose different challenges for families, both are far too common.Families are losingtoo much time.
1 in 5 adults have had an immediate family member spend a month or less in jail or prison
1 in 7 adults have had an immediate family member spend a year or more in jail or prison
1 in 34 has had an immediate family member spend 10 years or more in prison.
Some Are Impacted More Than Others.
Already high rates of jailing skyrocket for families with low income or those of color, especially black American families.
Black adults are 50%more likely than white adults to have had an immediate family member incarcerated.
Black adults are 3 times more likely than white adults to have had an immediate family member incarcerated for longer than one year.
Black and Latino families are also far more likely to experience longer prison sentences.
Families living in poverty and those with low incomes run a higher risk of incarceration.
It’s Holding Us All Back
When America’s families are disconnected, our communities and country can’t reach their full potential. The negative impacts of America’s incarceration crisis keep America from pushing forward to a stronger, safer, and more prosperous future.
Families affected by incarceration face steep financial burdens imposed by fines, fees, bail, loss of income, and missed child support.
As of 2011, the total amount of criminal justice debt in the U.S. owed by individuals amounted to around $50 billion.
The loss of a family's primary income source is highly destabilizing and can push families into financial disaster.Nearly two in three families (65 percent) were found to be unable to meet basic needs such as food, housing, and medical care while their family member was incarcerated.
The trauma of having an immediate family member incarcerated exacts a heavy toll on the physical and mental health of parents, spouses, and children.
Having a family member who has been incarcerated has been shown to increase the risk of numerous health outcomes including depression, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes.
Family bonds suffer, too. This incarceration crisis impacts the stability of American families and undermines efforts to keep families together.
This new research from FWD.us and Cornell University examines the important but often overlooked aspects of over-incarceration in America, and how its impact extends beyond the prison walls on to the families on the other side.
And the US continues to incarcerate more people than any other country in the world.
1 in 4 has had a sibling incarcerated
1 in 5 has had a parent incarcerated
1 in 7 has had a spouse or co-parent incarcerated
1 in 8 has had a child incarcerated
113 million adults in America have had an immediate family member incarcerated and, right now, 6.5 million adults have an immediate family member currently incarcerated in jail or prison.
Incarceration doesn’t care about a family’s political beliefs.
In fact, rates of family incarceration are nearly identical for Republicans (43 percent) and Democrats (45 percent).
Families Are Losing Time
The time the incarceration crisis takes from America’s families can’t be replaced. Whether it’s one night or a lifetime, a missed holiday meal or a missed childhood, every family impacted by over-incarceration feels its negative effects.
While short periods of incarceration and long prison sentences pose different challenges for families, both are far too common.Families are losingtoo much time.
1 in 5 adults have had an immediate family member spend a month or less in jail or prison
1 in 7 adults have had an immediate family member spend a year or more in jail or prison
1 in 34 has had an immediate family member spend 10 years or more in prison.
Some Are Impacted More Than Others.
Already high rates of jailing skyrocket for families with low income or those of color, especially black American families.
Black adults are 50%more likely than white adults to have had an immediate family member incarcerated.
Black adults are 3 times more likely than white adults to have had an immediate family member incarcerated for longer than one year.
Black and Latino families are also far more likely to experience longer prison sentences.
Families living in poverty and those with low incomes run a higher risk of incarceration.
It’s Holding Us All Back
When America’s families are disconnected, our communities and country can’t reach their full potential. The negative impacts of America’s incarceration crisis keep America from pushing forward to a stronger, safer, and more prosperous future.
Families affected by incarceration face steep financial burdens imposed by fines, fees, bail, loss of income, and missed child support.
As of 2011, the total amount of criminal justice debt in the U.S. owed by individuals amounted to around $50 billion.
The loss of a family's primary income source is highly destabilizing and can push families into financial disaster.Nearly two in three families (65 percent) were found to be unable to meet basic needs such as food, housing, and medical care while their family member was incarcerated.
The trauma of having an immediate family member incarcerated exacts a heavy toll on the physical and mental health of parents, spouses, and children.
Having a family member who has been incarcerated has been shown to increase the risk of numerous health outcomes including depression, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes.
Family bonds suffer, too. This incarceration crisis impacts the stability of American families and undermines efforts to keep families together.
This new research from FWD.us and Cornell University examines the important but often overlooked aspects of over-incarceration in America, and how its impact extends beyond the prison walls on to the families on the other side.