Joe Wegwerth
Criminology Paper
Professor Thomas
The Wegwerth House
My goal in this essay is to explain the aspects of the program I would like to create to extend the availability of educational, emotional, and potential financial support for children with an incarcerated parent. The name of the program will be the Wegwerth House and will follow a structure that is a combination of boys and girls clubs as well as food and homeless shelters. Throughout this essay I will reveal the details as to why and how this program will be brought about and end up thriving in the United States. I will also explain why a program like this is necessary in the US.
The first order of business in any successful program is establishing a why. The why for the Wegwerth House, is to give children with an incarcerated parent all the tools to be just as successful as their peers with both parents present in their childhood. We believe firmly in equality and everyone getting a fair chance, especially given the circumstances they face. With almost 2.7 million children having a parent incarcerated it is unfair for them to be left behind mentally, physically, and financially because of others actions (Western, Bruce and Becky Petit. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Collateral Costs: Incarceration’s Effect on Economic Mobility, 2010.) Growing up it is important for a child to have both parents in their life because they learn certain traits from both parents that will help to enhance their well being and success rate in many aspects of life. A mother for example, is a nurturing presence in a child’s life and her absence can lead a child to be depressed and lack the ability to create those connections with their peers that allow them to excel in the world. Research has shown that those with an incarcerated parent often emit signs of low self-esteem and believe that they are partially at fault or could have done something to prevent it (De Masi, Mary and Cate Bohn. Annie E. Casey Foundation. Children With Incarcerated Parents: A Journey of Children, Caregivers and Parents in New York State, 2010.). The Wegwerth House is built to provide these children with support to combat these issues.
As mentioned earlier, there are three main facets to the Wegwerth House. The first area of specialization in the group is education. The education aspect is huge because of the effect incarceration has on children. Most children develop a phobia of school and do not attend school for up to six weeks post incarceration (La Vigne, Nancy, Elizabeth Davies, and Diana Brazzell. Urban Institute Justice Policy Center. Broken Bonds Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Children with Incarcerated Parents, 2008.) This happens for a number of reasons from embarrassment to lack of desire to move on in life. The goal of the education sector of my program is to provide the support that these children need to get back in to school and not fall behind. Our education department will be staffed with tutors and mentors who can aid children in getting back in to school and helping them with their work so that they feel like they don’t lose any ground on their peers and can still follow their dreams academically. I believe this is extremely important due to the fact that children with incarcerated fathers are 23% more likely to be expelled or suspended from school (Western, Bruce and Becky Petit. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Collateral Costs: Incarceration’s Effect on Economic Mobility, 2010.). The children will have the opportunity to use tutors for homework, studying, or whatever the child needs. Mentors will also be available for teenagers who are trying to apply to college to continue their education. Help will be available to study for SAT’s and creating college applications. If a student cannot afford the necessary supplies for school or cannot afford to take the SAT the Wegwerth fund will cover their costs in order to help them if they show the desire and commitment to want to continue. We hope that children decide to take advantage of this incentive that is put in place to move past what could have derailed their education. Another piece of the Wegwerth House is the availability of five scholarships per year that are awarded to those students that take it upon themselves to excel in the classroom despite the odds. I believe by creating a space where children can grow together educationally with others whose parents are incarcerated that there will be a camaraderie among them that will bolster the overall outlook of the group and push each other to succeed academically.
The second asset that the Wegwerth House will boast is similar to that of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Each member will have the opportunity to be paired with an older volunteer that will act as a mentor to help them experience all the activities a child with both parents would experience, whether it’s being a part of a team, dancing, or participating in theatre the Wegwerth House will help to make these happen. I believe that is essential that children have the opportunity to be out with children their age gaining these experiences because the friendships they make playing sports or participating in similar activities teach them the importance of team work and specific interaction skills, as well as keeping them active and off of the streets that could ultimately lead them to where their children are. It is all part of breaking the cycle and keeping them from repeating the same mistake as their parent. The odds are against them as children that have an incarcerated parent are three times as likely to have a run in with the law (Conway, James M. and Edward T. Jones. Seven out of Ten? Not Even Close: A Review of Research on the Likelihood of Children with Incarcerated Parents Becoming Justice Involved. Central Connecticut State University, 2015). The relationship with the mentor is crucial in order to be that emotional outreach to lead them down the path that will keep them from these run ins. They will act as an older brother or sister for those younger children and the teenagers will be paired with an adult to act us a parent figure to help lead them through an important part of their lives.
The last part of the Wegwerth House is the financial support available for it’s members that need it. While some children with an incarcerated parent or parents may be forced to live with a grandparent it is reported that one in four children are living in poverty and cannot even afford the necessary expenses for a child whether it be clothing, food, or miscellaneous needs (La Vigne, Nancy, Elizabeth Davies, and Diana Brazzell. Urban Institute Justice Policy Center. Broken Bonds Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Children with Incarcerated Parents, 2008.) The With a almost 88% of children with an incarcerated parent live with their mother it can become an uphill battle to provide for the children with only a possibility of one working income (Hairston, Creasie. Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kinship Care When Parents Are Incarcerated: What We Know, What We Can Do, 2009.). Wegwerth House will always have food available for the children so that none of them go hungry and don’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from or if they will go to bed starving at night. There will also be a pool of money for miscellaneous things such as books and clothing provided the family cannot afford it so that kids may feel confident in school and do not have to worry about being made fun of for not having the same resources other children do. Under the unfortunate circumstances that both parents are incarcerated then the Wegwerth House will provide a place to stay if there is no one willing or able to shelter the children. No child should have to live alone and fend for themselves at a young age, which is why the Wegwerth House offers this opportunity.
The Wegwerth House will have all benefits available for those children from infant to age 18. Those older than age 18 are not barred from the program by any means as they will still have counselors or mentors available for support for the rest of their lives but their financial support will be cutback immensely if not all together. The children of incarcerated parents from the inner city as well as those from rural or out of city children are welcome and will be treated the same. Due to the fact that the Wegwerth House requires a lot of funding those who participated in it as a child are strongly urged to give back in either a financial donation or as a mentor to those kids are experiencing what they went through at one point in their lives. With being a child of an incarcerated parent now being called an, “adverse childhood experience” or ACE for short, these children will experience a combination of trauma, shame, and stigma (Hairston, C.F. (2007). Focus on the children with incarcerated parents: A overview of the research literature. Annie E. Casey Foundation.). With this in mind it is important that the mentors make every child feel important and preach to them that it is not their fault and they do not have to follow the same road. It will be most important to target the children ages 10-14 because the national average as of 2004 was as high as 31% of children were this age when their parent was incarcerated (U.S Department of Justice, 2008, Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children). This is an important time in a child’s life where they begin to embark in middle and high school and truly need the support of their parents and some guidance in their lives which is where the Wegwerth House will come in offering guidance and educational support to enhance their potential. This is backed up by the information in the graph shown below.
As shown above, nearly 50% of the African American and 10% of white adults with a child did not complete high school and thus has a higher chance of seeing themselves in prison by the time their child is 14. It is the goal of the Wegwerth House to help these children to achieve an education and combat these numbers in order to battle the cycle of high school drop out parents going to prison.
The final obstacle to tackle for the Wegwerth House is where to place these programs around the country. After researching, I believe that the headquarters for the program should be in Kentucky due to the fact that over 135,000 children reported having a parent incarcerated which is almost double the national average (Casey, Annie, 2016, The Devastating Toll of Parental Incarceration on Kids, Families, and Communities.). The ideal placement for a building would be halfway between the inner city and the outer city so that it is accessible for a number of children. The Wegwerth House will also place buildings in those states with the highest crime rates, which include Detroit, Michigan, Memphis Tennessee, and Oakland, California (World Atlas, 2016, Most Dangerous Cities In The United States). It is essential that there is a place for children to go in these cities so that the number of crime goes down and children in future generations are not stuck with the disadvantage of growing up without one of their parents.
The Wegwerth House will be a game changing establishment in the realm of children growing up with an incarcerated parent. With headquarters in high crime areas it ensures that no child will be left behind to become part of the brutal cycle. With educational support to pursue opportunities after high school and strong mentorship it will enable all children to move on with their lives and not let this disadvantage hold them back forever. With financial support available as well there will never be a time where the Wegwerth House will have to run a child away at any point, they are always welcome. This echoes our goal to leave no child behind and make sure they know that this isn’t their fault, but they can do something about it.