What Will Happen to Me?

Gr 7 Up—Children of incarcerated parents are consumed with questions, mainly what will happen to them. The authors' thesis is that the outcome of their lives impacts us all. Additionally, anyone working in the social work, teaching, or healthcare fields will most likely be working with some of these "approximately three million" children at some point. In part one, the statements from the children interviewed are accompanied by full-color photo portraits. What comes through is that they all love their parents unequivocally, but here it is tangible and poignant both in their words and faces. They are hopeful for their parents' return, and for their own lives to be successful without the blight of prison. Part two offers advice for caregivers and includes 10 questions often asked by children whose parents are in jail. Both the children and their families are not only experiencing physical separation but also the attendant shame as reflected in their treatment by adults and schoolmates. The authors are firm believers in restorative justice and draw the connection (along with giving suggestions) that the right kind of support can prevent multigenerational perpetrators of crime who fall into such patterns due to lack of support and resources.—Meredith Toumayan, The Governor's Academy, Byfield, MA