14,500 children in NSW go to bed each night with a parent in prison!'Barbed Wire'
I took a picture to show fear. The fear I felt when I talked to someone for the first time About my brother in prison. I felt loads of guilt for my brother.I had done nothing wrong.© Adam / PhotoVoice
Why the Forum?
Families who have a member in prison are often the hidden sufferers. It is not something people in this situation easily disclose, but they are often left carrying the burden. Apart from the emotional issues (eg. grief, anger, shame) there are a range of other issues they are encumbered with eg. how to communicate with the prisoner, what's involved with visiting especially with children, travel, finance, debt, housing, security, how to adjust when the prisoner returns home etc. All this has a huge impact on the lives of young children. Families in this predicament may not want to be identified and labelled as a group. It is incumbent on services to become aware of the issues facing families and work towards the best outcomes for children and other family members.
Objectives of the Forum
To build awareness of the issues facing families of prisoners among service providers
Who is the Forum for?
Workers in all services that may in the course of their work encounter families who have a family member in prison. Eg. Health, Housing, DOCS, Centrelink, Schools and TAFE Colleges, Child Care, Family Support, Neighbourhood Centres, Police, Youth Services, Indigenous Services, Multicultural and Ethno-specific services, Mental Health, Disability services, Drug and Alcohol services.
Where and when will the Forum be?
Wednesday, 18 May 2004
9.00am to 3.30 pm
Bankstown Town Hall
Cost:
Free-Light lunch included.
Presenters include:
* CRC - Community Restorative Centre 'Changing Lives, Reducing Crime'
* SHINE for Kids - formerly Children of Prisoner's Support Group
* UNSW Social Work Dept - Eileen Baldry
* Centrelink Prison Servicing Unit
*Family and Community Services, Dept of Correctional Services
14,500 children in NSW go to bed each night with a parent in prison!
Families of Prisoners Forum
Do you work with families? Some of these families will have a family member in prison. Most of these families will not disclose this.
Come along and gain an understanding of the issues impacting on families who have a relative in prison.
WHAT SERVICES NEED TO KNOW...
* Impact on Children's lives
* The role of Housing
* Finance and Debt
* Relationships
* Health
* The cycle of incarceration and its impact on families.
To register for this forum contact Yana Bilic Department of Housing Liverpool:
* Telephone: (02) 9821-6387 or 0401 984-512
* Fax: 9821 6035
* Email: yana.bilic@housing.nsw.gov.au
REGISTRATION CLOSES MONDAY 18 APRIL 2005
$....................................................................................
Name: _______________________________
Organisation: __________________________
Contact Details: ________________________
e-mail or fax this to the above address by 18 April
Illustration: Fairness for Prisoners’ Families
What happens for a young person who has a parent in prison?
There are a lot of consequences for children or young people who have a parent in prison. During Groupwork the kids themselves have identified as being: - Isolated – feeling lonely
- Stigmatised – feeling they aren't as good as others
- Ostracised/ignored – left out
- Missing out
- on time with Mum or Dad
- on activities, because there isn't enough money
- Angry – at Dad, at Mum, at the police, at themselves
- Deserted – betrayed, let down
- Frightened
- about Mum or Dad not being OK
- about what is going to happen to them now
- Humiliated/embarrassed – most kids wouldn't dare tell any of their friends
- Stressed – stress can trigger anger/aggression, fits of crying, even bedwetting
- Guilty – a lot of kids feel like it is their fault that mum or dad is in jail
- Confused by changes in family dynamics
- Insecure – most kids no longer feel safe and secure, they miss their parent
- Low in self esteem
- Having to become the adult
By Justice Action posted 29 March 05
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