Family Responsibility Statements in Judicial Decisions

The Special Project for Families Affected by Incarceration and the Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness conducted an HIA to examine the impact of using a family responsibility statement during the sentencing of a parent or primary caregiver.

In the Louisville metropolitan area, the growing and disparate impact of parental incarceration on children’s health and wellness makes action imperative and urgent. One strategy to prioritize the future of these children is the use of family responsibility statements, a series of questions for authorities to consider that can mitigate the impact of incarceration on families and children.

Kentucky has the nation’s second highest rate of children who have experienced parental incarceration. County data shows racial disparities in local jail incarceration. Having an incarcerated parent is an Adverse Childhood Experience that disproportionately affects African American children in metropolitan Louisville. The HIA recommended developing and piloting the use of family responsibility statements in local courts and educating the public and local government about racial inequities that affect African American children.