New statistics have uncovered that over 192,000 children in England and Wales have parents who are currently imprisoned.
This is the initial display by the government regarding the extent of young individuals affected – an estimated 192,912 – who, without assistance, frequently emulate their parents’ criminal behavior, as indicated by studies.
However, charitable organizations argue that releasing these figures is merely the “initial stage,” and are now urging the new administration to take further action to aid the “unseen children” who are “slipping through the crevices.”
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Labour has a track record of advocating on this matter while in opposition, with the current energy minister Kerry McCarthy presenting a private members’ bill that proposed national standards to ensure identification of any children at the sentencing phase and accountability in providing them support.
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The essence of her proposed legislation was incorporated into Labour’s general election manifesto, which pledged: “Children of incarcerated individuals are at a significantly higher risk of being ensnared in criminal activities compared to their peers. We will guarantee that these young people are recognized and offered assistance to disrupt the cycle.”
Nevertheless, this commitment was omitted from the King’s Speech on Wednesday, outlining the government’s policy agenda for the upcoming 12 to 18 months.
Sky News has learned that ministers remain dedicated to this policy, but there is still no definitive timeline for its implementation.
Kerry McCarthy championed this cause during her time in opposition and succeeded in getting it into the Labour manifesto. Pic: Sky News
In reality, the data released today was commissioned by the Tories in 2021 as part of their strategy outlined in the prison whitepaper.
“We pursued this to understand the magnitude of the issue,” stated Mr. Chalk. “It is widely acknowledged that children with incarcerated parents encounter hardships and are significantly impacted.
“Every research indicates that in child protection policy, prompt and strong actions are required… and addressing this was already underway when we stepped down from office.”
Alex Chalk served as justice secretary under Rishi Sunak, but was ousted after losing his Cheltenham seat. Pic: Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street
“We have witnessed incidents where children are harassed, bullied in school, told by their peers that they would commit suicide if their parent had committed that crime,” he shared with Sky News.
“Particularly in cases of sexual offenses, surviving families often need to relocate to evade community backlash, with the child often unaware of the crime at that point.
“We have even encountered instances where children are entirely self-reliant with no mechanism in place to identify them.”
“Numerous studies have highlighted the intricate and demanding hurdles these children face, often leading to children of prisoners themselves partaking in unlawful activities,
“They slip through the crevices… they are essentially unobserved kids who require assistance.”
He reiterated the charity’s plea for a legal obligation to identify children with incarcerated parents and emphasized that, in addition to the provision of governmental statistics, this is “the foremost and most critical step.”
Post this stage, the organization seeks to witness the delivery of support, based within a child’s educational institution, and the eligibility of such children for a Pupil Premium payment.
A government representative responded to the statistics, asserting: “Growing up with a parent in prison can markedly impair a child’s future prospects, which is why this government has pledged to extend the necessary support for these children to flourish and prosper.
“This report presents a clear picture of the challenge’s extent and marks a crucial milestone in breaking the cycle of criminal engagement that often accompanies parental imprisonment.”
