N.O.C.A.P. (Nurturing Or Creating Alternative Pathways)

Here is what some of the most recent studies have said about the effect parental incarceration has on children:  

"These hidden victims receive little personal support and do not benefit from the systemic societal mechanisms generally available to direct crime victims, despite their prevalence and their similarities to direct crime victims." - Eric Martin of the National Institute of Justice. 

"Children of incarcerated parents may also face several other challenging circumstances. They may have experienced trauma related to their parent’s arrest or experiences leading up to it. Children of incarcerated parents may also be more likely to have faced other adverse childhood experiences, including witnessing violence in their communities or directly in their household or exposure to drug and alcohol use/misuse." - Youth.gov

"While many of the risk factors children of incarcerated parents experience may be related to parental substance abuse, mental health, inadequate education, or other challenges, parental incarceration increases the risk of children living in poverty or experiencing household instability independent of these other problems." - Rutgers University National Resource Center on Children & Families of the Incarcerated.

Per the One Lexington Strategic Plan to Reduce Gun Violence (in partnership with Cities United & UK Community Innovation Lab) among youth and young adults, providing prevention programming and support to those most vulnerable is extremely important to creating pathways to success and breaking generational cycles. Studies show that children of incarcerated parents have a higher risk of experiencing or witnessing violence.