bcoip: reclaiming our identities
We are Sharon's Children
The common narrative of Black Children of Incarcerated Parents (BCOIP) revolves around negative outcomes and the perpetuation of stereotypes. The goal of this capstone project is to shift that narrative and focus on the resilience factors that mitigate the negative outcomes and amplify positive experiences throughout childhood and adulthood in spite of parental incarceration. In this way, social work practitioners can adapt new, more effective approaches to working with BCOIP to better support them at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
Overcoming Adversity
In September 2024, Tonisha Taylor was interviewed by Harness Magazine and shared her experiences as a BCOIP. Click the link below to read her inspiring story of strength and hope.
BCOIP Interview with Antoinette Montague
july 2025 continuing education workshop participant feedback
Arizona State University Presentation
Speaking Truth to Power
This anthology will be of great interest to social work practitioners, counselors, educators, and those interested in criminal justice reform. Additionally, the narratives shared can serve as a source of validation and inspiration for other BCOIP whose stories remain untold.
Research articles
Here's select list of research articles that inform approaches to working with BCOIP:
Benninger, E., Schmidt-Sane, M., Massey, S., & Athreya, B. (2023). Youth for youth:
Raising the voices of children of incarcerated parents and implications for policy and
practice. Journal of Community Psychology 51, 2133-2162.
doi: 10.1002/jcop.23014
Brown, E.C., & Coker, A.D. (2019). Promoting the resiliency of African American teens
Experiencing ambiguous loss. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work 44(4), 286-299.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2019.1669751
Gatewood, B., Muhammad, B.M., & Turner, S. M. (2023b). Breaking generational curses:
Success and opportunity among Black children of incarcerated parents. Social Problems
20,1-19. https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spad026
Goldstein, E., Topitzes, Miller-Cribbs, J., & Brown, R.L. (2021). Influence of race/ethnicity on
the link between adverse childhood experiences and child flourishing. Pediatric Research
89, 1861-1869. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-01188-6
Johnson, E.I., Kilpatrick, T., Bolland, A., & Bolland, J. (2020) Positive youth development in
the context of household member contact with the criminal justice system. Children
And Youth Services Review114,1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105033
Jones, L.N., Keller, E.G., Kelleher, K.J., Chisolm, D.J., Boch, S.J. (2024). “Devastating…having
my child on the opposite side of a window”: Family visiting experiences and
considerations for supporting youths and incarcerated parents. Journal of Child and
Family Studies 33,25-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02769-9
Kautz, S.V. (2018). The emotional experience of parental incarceration from the African-
American adolescent perspective. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma 12(2), 187-
199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-018-0232-x
Noel, M.E., & Green, C. (2022). “I literally roll with the punches”: Black and Latina women
coping through parental incarceration. Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice &
Criminology 11(3), 2-36. doi: 10.21428/88d04a1.a9c93b41
