The children of prisoners are guaranteed nothing. They have committed no crime, but the penalty they are required to pay is steep.
—Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights
San Francisco Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership, SFCIPP, is comprised of service providers, representatives of government bodies, advocates and others who work with families. Founded in 2000, SFCIPP seeks to improve the lives of children and to increase awareness of their needs and potential. Early on, SFCIPP realized its focus should be articulated from the child’s perspective. Thus, in 2003, Gretchen Newby, Executive Director of Friends Outside, drafted the original Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights. She culled words and views from families with whom she worked, as well as from interviews conducted by journalist Nell Bernstein. In 2005 The Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights was revised and now includes solutions and goals.
According to Dee Ann Newell, Soros Justice Fellow, co-founder of Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind, and a contributor to this edition, currently, California is the only state that has adopted the Children’s Bill of Rights as a legislative resolution. Other states have implemented suggestions from the Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights such as arrest protocols, law enforcement training, child-friendly visitation programs and child welfare responses to children in foster care. Furthermore, the Council of State Governments, a non-partisan think tank, has made strategic recommendations for improving public policy responses to children of incarcerated parents. Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind continues to outreach to various groups who support the Children’s Bill of Rights, and, through its “Rights to Realities” initiative, the San Francisco Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership remains at the helm of crafting and implementing solutions that improve the well-being of the children, remaining steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that these rights are respected. We are reprinting the Bill of Rights in this special edition to remind us that children do have rights, and also to encourage others to find meaningful ways to integrate these suggestions into their work with children and families.
Download (PDF) the Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights.
