Children with incarcerated parents are a growing problem in Pennsylvania and across the country. The number of inmates who are parents has increased by 79 percent since 1991. The population of parents is following a trend similar to that of all incarcerated individuals. There are about 2.3 million people in jail or prison in this country. In 1980 there were about 502,000.
According to sociologist Bruce Western, it is estimated that about 2.7 million children across the country share the anxiety and uneasiness of having a parent locked up. Western estimates that one of every 28 American children—3.6 percent—has an incarcerated parent. Just 25 years ago, the number was one of every 125.
