Why this film is important:
Our documentary sparks dialogue around
1) unmet needs of children whose parents are imprisoned
2) societies’ collective responsibility
3) law enforcement policies/advocacy strategies.
Outreach efforts must address quality of life:
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adequate food, safe shelter
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physical and psychological care
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tutoring and mentoring that will move them past the stigma of parental incarceration and into the promise of their lives.
The U.S. is the only country that has not ratified the “Convention on the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Child.” What are the global costs of this decision? How does nurturing these children support healthy societies in an increasingly interconnected world? The Word Is Love will stimulate problem solving - beginning at the community level and connecting with national and international efforts that protect the rights of children. Through storytelling, we connect children to their own agency. They become voices of authority calling us to action.
Some facts:
More than one in every 100 adults in America are in jail or prison.
There are an estimated 2.3 million children who have a parent in jail.
Bureau of Justice Statistics.
More than 7 million children have a parent under some form of correctional supervision.
Bureau of Justice Statistics.
22% of all minor children with a parent in prison were under 5 years old.
US Department of Justice.
Children of incarcerated parents will spend an average of 6 years 8 months separated from them. Aid to Children of Incarcerated Mothers, Inc.
As many as half of all boys whose parents do time will wind up behind bars themselves.
All Alone in the World, Nell Bernstein.