What Families are Dealing With
Native Americans are:
- incarcerated at a rate 38% higher than the national average, (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
- 30% more likely, as youths, than whites to be referred to juvenile courts, (National Council on Crime and Delinquency)
- more likely to be killed by police than other racial groups, (Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice)
- incarcerated men at four times the rate of white men; and incarcerated (women) at six times the rate of white women, (Lakota People’s Law Project)
Native youth are experiencing similar disparities in Juvenile State and County Courts across the country.
How This Affects the Families I Work With
- Native American families are impacted by the disparity in sentencing, which statistics show are harsher than for Caucasians who commit the same crimes.
- Children are often separated from the parent(s) and if the incarcerated parent(s) is in another city or state, there may not even be visitation with the child or other family members.
- A lack of financial resources will likely impact the legal services provided and the length of stay for the incarcerated individual.
What I Can Do to Build on Family Strengths
- Recognize that some of the families in your case load may have incarcerated family members. Offer support and understanding to the issues they are facing.
- Encourage involvement in Tribal community ceremonies and gatherings.
- Look for volunteers who could help with providing transportation for visitation.
- Consider creating (or helping to create) a support group for Native family members of those who are incarcerated.
- Encourage connection with the person incarcerated, through visitation, mail, and phone calls, if possible.