WASHINGTON- Three years ago Kenneth Jackson didn’t realize
his life would be completely changed forever. He didn’t realize that he was becoming a new
statistic.
“My father went to jail during my sophomore year. Although I
was older, it still had a big effect on my life” Jackson said. In 2009,
Jackson’s father was sentenced to six years in prison for a white-collar crime.
Jackson is of the 16 percent of children between the ages of 15-18 with an
incarcerated parent.
According to an article by the National Legislature of State
Legislatures, Over 1.5 million children in the U.S. have a parent that is
incarcerated in either a state or federal prison. Studies show that the Black and Hispanic
population of parents are growing disproportionately. Therefore, the children
most affected by incarceration are children of African or Hispanic descent.
Jackson’s experience reflects the lives of many children in
the United States. The effects of a child’s parent being incarcerated can be
traumatic. These children face challenges such as financial instability, shame,
and instability in family relationships.
Although the challenges are even greater for minor children, they still
can have a great effect on older children.
Many children with incarcerated parents have problems in
school soon after their parents are incarcerated. But Jackson’s experience was
different.
“Actually my academics improved since he went to jail. The
same year he went to jail, I got all A’s and B’s. I knew I had to fend for
myself now” Jackson said.
This is rare for children with incarcerated parents. Most
children begin to misbehave and perform acts of delinquency in school as a
result of isolation.
Another challenge children with incarcerated children have
to deal with is the instability of the relationship with their incarcerated
parents. These children have to go from constantly seeing their parents to
seeing them during scheduled and supervised visits. During most of these
visits, the child can’t even touch their parent.
“We were very close.
I used to Oovoo and Skype with him almost everyday because he lived in Canada.
During winter break, spring break, and summer I would always see him” Jackson
said.
Going from two parents providing for a child to only one can
place a huge financial burden on a family. These economic strains can be
difficult for children to deal with.
“It was hard for me, because it was a huge burden because we
had to pay lawyer fees” Jackson said.
Fortunately Jackson’s mother was able to get a stable job
and he was able to live a life without economic strain.
The families of children with incarcerated children tend to
tell the child to not tell anyone about their parent’s incarceration. This
usually leads to the child feeling an isolation or shame stigma.
“I didn’t tell anyone about it because my family told me it
wasn’t a big idea. I didn’t tell any of my close friends, but when I got to
Howard I told people because I was tired of living a secret life” Jackson said.
Unlike many children with incarcerated parents, Jackson went
on to college and now he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Management
at one of the most prestigious universities in the nation. His adversity has given him the motivation to
succeed. “It was a very humbling experience, that made me the person I am today.”
