More than 21,000 Arkansas Children Have a Parent in Prison
/More than 21,000 Arkansas children have a parent serving time in prison and the system's neglect of these children is perpetuating a cycle of impoverishment, children's advocates say.
"When a parent is sent to prison, these children are overlooked and ignored," said Susan Phillips, a research analyst with The Sentencing Project.
State lawmakers heard from the directors of several state agencies and some advocates as part of an interim study that found that more than 18,000 children have a father behind bars and almost 3,000 have a mother serving time.
