HPIO brief explores criminal justice impact on children and families

HPIO has released a new policy brief that explores the impact of parental criminal justice involvement on the health, safety and well-being of children and families in Ohio.

The brief is the latest in a series of HPIO publications on the connections between criminal justice and health.

The new brief explores the generational cycle of justice involvement, illustrated above.

“Incarceration of a household member is an adverse childhood experience (ACE) that can cause serious and long-lasting health and economic harms across generations and for individuals, families and communities,” the brief states. “These harms include increased likelihood of children becoming involved in the justice system.”

At the same time, according to the brief, “Children need to grow up in safe communities, free from crime and violence, requiring a balance between community safety, family stability and child well-being in Ohio’s criminal justice policies.”

The brief includes a collection of evidence-informed policy options that leaders across the state can act on to prevent and mitigate the impacts of parental justice involvement on children and families.

Funding for HPIO’s Criminal Justice and Health project was provided by the Ohio State Bar Foundation and HPIO’s core funders.