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Reports
Collateral Consequences
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1 Children of Incarcerated Parents
The study sought to understand how children and caregivers are affected by incarceration, how they cope, and how their perspectives differ. With a qualitative design, caregivers and children who had a parent in prison were interviewed three times over the course of a year. 144 interviews were conducted, recorded, and analyzed for thematic content. All of the children had a father in prison, while two children also had a mother in prison. The caregivers were all women. Results indicate that children and caregivers often had limited support systems, faced social isolation and encountered barriers with the criminal justice system and correctional institutions. The interviews revealed that families lived in "survival mode", some handling things better than others, but all doing their best to simply cope.
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2
The Collateral Effects of Incarceration on Fathers, Families, and Communities
This study examines how imprisonment influences the lives of offenders, their families, and local communities. Interviews were conducted with previously incarcerated fathers and community members in a neighborhood experiencing high prisoner mobility (i.e. residents either leaving for or returning from prison). Using thematic content analysis multiple findings emerged. Many fathers had limited social and economic resources which served as barriers to effective parenting. Nevertheless, these fathers often took great joy from their relationship with their children. Incarceration was viewed as having a harmful effect on families and communities. Incarcerating large numbers of men from one community is seen as a threat to both individual and community economic stability. Although community residents feared victimization, they were empathetic towards ex-offenders and were especially cognizant of the struggles that ex-offenders face. Recommendations include increased access to parenting classes for ex-offenders, the development of further felony friendly employment opportunities, and increasing community solidarity.
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3
Identifying the HIV/AIDS/STD-related Needs of African American Ex-Offenders
Health effects associated with incarceration exacerbate existing health disparities in the larger African American community. African Americans are both disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and disproportionately represented amongst prison populations. The HIV rate in prison has been cited as 5 to 6 times higher than the rate of the general population. To examine the HIV/AIDS/STD-related needs of African American ex-offenders, CCJ conducted focus groups and interviews with ex-offenders and service providers in Hennepin and Ramsey County. The study found two general areas of agreement. First, HIV positive offenders need better pre and post release case management. Second, both service providers and ex-offenders believe that more education concerning HIV/AIDS and other STDs is necessary. The study recommends incorporating peer educators into post-release educational classes, evaluating the effectiveness of pre-release education, and improving pre and post-release health care advocacy.
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4
East Side of St. Paul – Crime Related Needs Assessment
In order to assess the needs of racial/ethnic communities experiencing heightened criminal activity within their neighborhoods, five focus groups were undertaken: African American, Hmong, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, and Caucasian. Focus group participants were asked to discuss their perceptions of the causes of crime, the effectiveness of police responses, the impact of crime and imprisonment on community stability, racial tension, and youth. Each racial/ethnic population presented unique concerns and perspectives. African Americans felt that police presence merely created problems within the community and desired a decreased police presence until relations could be improved. In contrast, Hmong participants were concerned by the lack of police involvement within the community, and desired more consistent policing. All of the focus groups were concerned about youth and drug consumption. Recommendations to reduce youth involvement in the justice system include creating parenting programs and increasing community development opportunities.
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