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.
Strength & Resilience
Key findings from my case study indicate that Black children of incarcerated parents demonstrate remarkable resilience often intrinsically or powered by community, family support, and meaningful relationships.
Resilience emerges in many ways, such as staying connected to an incarcerated parent, receiving emotional support, accessing mentoring programs, or finding positive outlets for expression.
Understanding the possible presence and working to further develop these resilience factors can aid in establishing a therapeutic relationship with BCOIP.
A Useful Model for Social Work Practice
The TI-ATA model can be used by social workers to advocate for the rights of clients. The three-step flow chart demonstrates how one’s individual problem can be used to enact systemic change, while social workers help maintain the active voice of the client throughout the process.
Social workers play a vital role in protecting the human rights of these children through trauma‑informed care, advocacy, and culturally humble practice. At the micro level, they can offer counseling, help children prepare for visitation, and guide caregivers through emotional challenges. At the macro level, they can advocate for policies that keep families connected, reduce unnecessary separations, and support efforts toward smart decarceration.
Reference: Tarhish, N., David, P., Krumer-Nevo, M. (2024). Social work advocacy: Towards a trauma-
informed model, Clinical Social Work Journal,1-11.
BCOIP Interview with Antoinette Montague
In this interview, I discussed my lived experience as a BCOIP and how that shaped the way I approached my capstone project. I also shared details about the community work that I'm doing through Shine A Light NJ.
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
