Tennessee has one of the highest percentages of children who have had a parent in jail. In raw numbers, that’s 144,000 kids, according to the latest “Kids Count” study, which tries to tally the impact on future generations.
About 1 in 10 children in Tennessee have had a parent serve jail time. That’s considered an “adverse childhood experience” — or “ACE” — which advocates have been striving to reduce.
The report says imprisonment destabilizes families and reduces the coping skills — and ultimately the earnings — of children.
Researchers from the Annie E. Casey Foundation say non-violent offenses could be handled without incarceration and that kids should be provided better health and welfare benefits while their parents are away.
“Tennessee should engage in concerted efforts to reduce incarceration, especially for non-violent offenses or technical probation or parole violations that do not involve additional crimes,” reads a joint statement from the foundation and the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth.
How convicts re-enter family life is also taken up. There was praise for the spread of so-called “ban the box” policies in Tennessee, in which fewer job applications ask about criminal history.
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