Fri., Feb. 17, 2012, Noon to 1 p.m.
Tell me a Story: The Reality of Oklahoma's Children of Incarcerated Parents
Oklahoma History Center, Chesapeake Room
800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr., Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Cheri Fuller, Executive Director
Redeeming the Family
Sponsor:
Redeeming the Family
We are a group of people who care deeply about the fact that mothers’ time in prison is devastating their children’s lives. Since Oklahoma incarcerates more women per capita than any state in the nation, children are the hidden, innocent victims.
About Children Whose Mothers Are Incarcerated:
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Children are deeply affected by the incarceration of a parent—especially a mother in numerous ways—socially, emotionally, and academically.
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Few children see their incarcerated parents on a regular basis and most not at all. It is difficult for parents to maintain contact with their children while they are incarcerated (in Oklahoma specifically due to a lack of resources, child’s distance from prison, family hardships, and the cumbersome DOC visitation approval process.) More than half of incarcerated mothers do not receive any visits from their children while they are in prison.
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Without contact, children begin to perceive their parents as strangers, making their adjustment with caregivers or other adults more challenging and reunification with their parents more difficult.
Children are often:
- Confused about the absence.
- Have mixed feelings about the parent.
- Question whether or not the parent even cares about them.
In addition to lowering the likelihood of recidivism among incarcerated parents, there is evidence that maintaining the child-parent relationship while a parent is incarcerated improves a child’s emotional response to the incarceration and encourages parent-child attachment.
About the Speaker:
Cheri Fuller is an author and an international speaker who has taught at every level from elementary school to college. She has written several books, including The Mom You're Meant to Be, When Mothers Pray, and Opening Your Child's Nine Learning Windows. Named "Oklahoma Mother of the Year" in 2004, Cheri has appeared on national television and radio programs and is a popular conference speaker. She and her husband live in Edmond, Oklahoma. They have three grown children.