In June 2016, 19 youth, ages 15-23, were invited to Washington, D.C., to speak to officials in the federal government and share their experiences being children of incarcerated parents. Participants’ ideas and feedback from the session were used to create four products to help other youth who have or have had an incarcerated parent:

PRODUCT 1

Advice for Youth from Youth with an Incarcerated Parent
This presentation shares six coping strategies that Listening Session participants had for other young people who have incarcerated parents.

PRODUCT 2

Change Makers: Young People Who Have Incarcerated Parents
This presentation provides a visual summary of the Listening Session, where Change Makers shared about their unique needs and observations having incarcerated parents.

PRODUCT 3

Tip Sheet for Youth: Youth Supporting Fellow Youth Who Have an Incarcerated Parent (PDF, 2 pages)
This tip sheet was written by youth who have an incarcerated parent for youth who have an incarcerated parent. It shares information that young people wish they had been told when their parent was first involved in the criminal justice system.

PRODUCT 4

In their Words: 4 Young People Share Experiences with Having an Incarcerated Parent
This video shares the stories of four young women from the Listening Session who speak about dealing with having a parent behind bars.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Find tools, opportunities, and support: http://engage.youth.gov/
• Find a mentor: http://www.mentoring.org/get-involved/find-a-mentor/
• Find programs in your sate and across the country: http://nrccfi.camden.rutgers.edu/resources/directory/
• Find ways to get involved: http://www.ymca.net/youth-development/
• Find a program to join: https://www.bgca.org/programs/teens-young-adults
• Find how you can make a difference: http://www.youthmovenational.org/
• Find more information on our other website, youth.gov:
  • Visit youth.gov/coip/listening-session for more information and summary report from the youth listening session.
  • Visit youth.gov/coip for more information and resources for supporting young people who have or have had an incarcerated parent.