Children of Incarcerated Parents

Program funding
The Children of Incarcerated Parents program at the Marion County jail is being paid for with a $100,000 federal grant and about $90,000 in appropriations from the sheriff's office budget.
The sheriff's office also has received a federal grant of about $345,000 for drug treatment, including some in the CIP program.

Survey of inmates reveals 'staggering' meth numbers
Study also shows that many in county jail are parents

CARA ROBERTS MUREZStatesman Journal

December 23, 2005

Nearly 75 percent of Marion County jail inmates have used methamphetamine.
About 40 percent of inmates are in jail as a direct result of the drug: possession, manufacturing, delivery or stealing to get the cash to buy it.
Many fall below the poverty line. More than half have never had employer-paid benefits, have no high-school diploma and at times have had no home.
What they do have is children.
About 15,000 children annually, maybe more, have parents who were or are incarcerated at the Marion County jail.
"That's a lot of kids," said Dr. William Brown, an associate professor at Western Oregon University who surveyed the jail population. His goal was to gain a clearer picture of inmates and the impact that methamphetamine is having on the criminal-justice system, social services and families.
Brown, the director of the Northwest regional office of the Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice, surveyed 442 inmates, about 76 percent of the population, one day in July. Now, he and student volunteers are back to get in-depth answers.
Their follow-up results, due in January, will be used to understand the issues and measure success of a new program aimed at helping inmate parents. The Children of Incarcerated Parents program began at the jail in the fall.
"The ultimate (question) is how do we protect our children, and part of that is making sure the parents that are coming through the criminal-justice system leave with the tools and knowledge necessary to be better parents," said Marion County Sheriff Raul Ramirez.
Children of Incarcerated Parents, a program similar to one in 13 Oregon prisons, began at the jail in October with twice-weekly classes for parents. The 12-week class graduated its first group on Wednesday.
Based on the survey and other information, Ramirez said, the meth problem is being magnified by the need for housing, employment, education, parenting skills and drug treatment.

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