Incarceration is no good for families. For parents, one of the worst parts of a prison sentence is being separated from one’s children. For kids, incarceration can lead to stress, developmental delays, and financial and emotional trauma. In such situations, incarceration can injure the families of offenders “as much as, and sometimes more than, offenders themselves,” according to studies.
Recognizing the problems caused by incarcerating offenders with minor children, California created an Alternative Custody Program in 2010. California’s ACP program allows participants to spend a portion of their sentence outside of prison, maintaining contact with their children. The program, previously limited to mothers, must now be made available to all eligible inmates, a federal court has ruled.