Nearly half of the children in America have at least one parent with a criminal record, according to a recent report by the Center for American Progress.
There are between 33 million and 36.5 million children, the December 2015 report estimates.
Even a minor criminal record can be a life sentence to poverty, obstacles to employment, housing, education and training, public assistance, financial empowerment and more, the report adds.
The parent with the criminal record has a lower earning potential, having to face criminal background checks on job applications and state laws on hiring and occupational licensing, which bar individuals with certain types of convictions from at least 800 occupations nationwide, the report says.
Formerly incarcerated men take home an average of 40 percent less pay annually than if they had never been incarcerated, resulting in an earnings loss of nearly $179,000 by age 48, the report stated.
Children in low-income homes can develop limited language skills affecting school performance that could lead to bullying, not going to class and withdrawal. They are less likely to complete high school and can exhibit emotional and behavior problems.
The families also have a difficult time acquiring savings and assets because states and other agencies have steadily moved to user fees and an offender-funded justice system.
Fines and fees place heavy debt burdens on many prisoners. They place 85 percent of returning citizens into criminal justice debt that can total thousands of dollars.
Children can suffer emotional and mental health issues from the family’s financial debt, having to face food shortages, not having health care or having the utilities turned off.
The parent can face public housing policies that can make it physically impossible to rejoin the family. Seventy-nine percent of returning citizens reported being denied housing because of their criminal history, while 18 percent of families reported being evicted or denied housing when the family member returned home, the report stated.
Barriers to education and training can prevent the parent the needed skills to compete in the current job market. Sixty-six percent of colleges and universities do background checks in the admission process, decreasing the chance to access higher education.
People with a felony drug conviction are denied American Opportunity Tax Credit for life. It is a partially refundable tax credit to offset educational expense.
The report suggests Congress reauthorize the bipartisan Second Chance Act. It allows the Department of Justice to award federal grants to non-profits and government agencies to provide services to support re-entry programs.
“We must enact solutions to ensure that a criminal record does not consign an individual—and his or her children—to a life of poverty,” the report concludes.
