Eli Global RFWhen a parent is incarcerated, the sentence rarely ends with them. Spouses, siblings, and — most significantly — children are left to navigate the emotional, financial, and social fallout of an event they had no part in causing. At the Eli-Global Reform Foundation, we call these family members the hidden victims of mass incarceration, and reaching them is central to our vision of preventing generational incarceration before it starts.
A Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight
The scale of this issue is larger than most people realize. Between 50 and 75 percent of incarcerated individuals report having a minor child. Data shows that Latino children are 2.3 times more likely, and African American children 7.5 times more likely, than Caucasian children to have an incarcerated parent. These are not small disparities — they represent millions of children navigating the same hardship with almost no structured support system built around them.
Children with an incarcerated parent commonly face difficulty forming and maintaining relationships, disruptions to normal schooling — including higher rates of suspension and expulsion — behavioral and social challenges, and ongoing economic hardship at home. None of this happens because of anything the child did. It happens because the systems around incarceration were never built with children in mind.
Why Family Support Is the Real Prevention Strategy
Here’s the uncomfortable truth our foundation confronts directly: many children of incarcerated parents go on to become incarcerated themselves. Escaping that outcome is possible — but research and experience both show it is the exception, not the rule, absent real intervention.
The strength and quality of family support available to a child is one of the single biggest factors in whether they overcome these hardships or repeat them. That’s why “working from the outside” is just as critical to our mission as anything we do inside correctional facilities. Prevention on the outside is, in many cases, the most effective way to lower incarceration rates for the next generation.
What Prevention Actually Looks Like
Our vision extends the work of rehabilitation beyond jail walls and into the households and communities most affected by incarceration. That means connecting the children and partners of incarcerated individuals with services that mirror and reinforce what’s happening inside — mentorship, educational support, and community resources designed specifically for families navigating a parent’s incarceration.
It also means recognizing that reconnecting incarcerated parents with their children — through improved, child-friendly visitation and consistent communication — isn’t just compassionate. It’s a proven tool for preventing generational incarceration, because it keeps the family bond intact during the years it matters most.
Catching the Cycle Early
The earlier we reach a child affected by parental incarceration, the more effective prevention becomes. Adolescence is a critical window — the point at which environment and support (or the lack of it) often determines which path a child ultimately takes. Our foundation is committed to reaching families during that window, not after the cycle has already repeated itself.
Help Us Reach More Families
Ending generational incarceration means seeing the whole family — not just the individual behind bars. If you believe children shouldn’t inherit their parent’s sentence, there’s a place for you in this work.
Learn about our vision or donate today to help support the children and families we serve.