WHEREAS
, In the United States, more than 1.5 million children have a parent who is currently incarcerated and nearly 10 million children have experienced having a parent incarcerated at one point during their childhood; and
WHEREAS
, Approximately 60% of incarcerated women in this Commonwealth are mothers of children under 18 years of age and approximately 55% of incarcerated men are fathers of children under 18 years of age; and
WHEREAS
, Parental imprisonment, in particular, can impose serious financial hardships on an offender’s family and can lead to disrupted living arrangements for the children, both of which are linked to an increased risk for delinquency on the part of an offender’s children and has shown to have adverse effects on a child’s sense of security, trust, and self-esteem; and
WHEREAS
, Children who have incarcerated fathers tend to “act out,” including hostile behavior, use of drugs and alcohol, and truancy and delinquent actions and children who have incarcerated mothers tend to exhibit “withdrawal” characteristics, such as unwillingness to engage in play, fear of school, frequent crying, and nightmares; and
WHEREAS
, Regardless of the crimes of their parents, these children still have the same needs, feelings, and aspirations as other children and although their parents may have committed crimes, these children cannot, should not, and must not be held accountable for the actions of their parents; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA,
That we hereby commend the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for passing House Resolution 701 and urge them to pass House Bill 2254, which recognizes the special needs of children of incarcerated parents and establishes a task force to create a plan to address their needs.
FURTHER RESOLVED
, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be sent to the Majority and Minority leadership of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the Philadelphia Delegation of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and the Governor as a representation of the true wishes and sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
End