Protecting a Child’s Right to Physical Contact and Continued Communications with their Incarcerated Parent

WHEREAS, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ("NAACP") seeks to end the vast racial disparities and consequences of family separation due to criminalization, arrest, and incarceration; and 

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Justice found in 2017 that more than half of people in prisoners are parents and that 1 in 4 Black children experience parental incarceration, thus emphasizing the outsized generational trauma that parental incarceration inflicts upon Black communities, and 

WHEREAS, Studies show that children with an incarcerated parent are 2 times more likely to experience an economic crisis leading to a reduced standard of living and are 2.3 times more likely to not have had their basic needs met (Phillips et al, 2006), are more likely to have worse educational outcomes and over 3.5 times more likely to report an instance of disciplinary action (Shlafer, Reedy, & Davis, 2017), are less likely to report overall good health (Hiolski, Eisenberg, & Shlafer, 2019), and are more likely to have low self-esteem and depression; and 

WHEREAS, An article published by The Guardian on December 9, 2017 entitled, "The end of American prison visits: jails end face-to-face contact - and families suffer," provided research and advertising materials that jails and telecom companies are conspiring to ban in-person visitation and force families to use expensive phone and video call platforms, all to increase their own profits at the expense of families. This harm includes families having to choose between paying bills or keeping in touch with their incarcerated loved one; and 

WHEREAS, Some facilities leave physical contact to the discretion of the pre-conviction detention centers and post-conviction correctional facilities and their staff; and 

WHEREAS, Studies show that hugging and spending time with one's family is essential to healthy emotional development and wellness (De Falco, Simona et al. 2014) because it increases genuine connection, honesty, validation, confidence, and overall stronger relationships; and 

WHEREAS, Researchers agree that visitation improves the well-being of incarcerated people and reduces self-harm (Favril et al. 2020; Zhong et al. 2021), increases facility safety (Goncalves et al. 2014), is key to successful reentry and lower rates of recidivism (Mitchell et al. 2016), and allows incarcerated parents to continue to impart wisdom and love onto their child, including helping with homework, spiritual needs, and social growth; and 

WHEREAS, The NAACP reaffirms its previous resolutions, Campaign to Stop Financial Exploitation of Prisoners and their Families (2017), NAACP Opposes the For-Profit Prison Industry (2012), Girls and Women in the Criminal Justice System (2011), "For Profit" Companies Working with Prisons (2003). 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP will advocate for all pre-conviction detention centers and post-conviction correctional facilities to provide spaces in which children of incarcerated individuals may have physical contact, including hugs, with their incarcerated parents. 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP will advocate for all pre-conviction detention centers and post-conviction correctional facilities to provide free or low-cost communications systems, e.g., audio and video direct messaging and video conferencing, such as are regularly available to non-incarcerated individuals.