Repairing Relationships for Families Impacted by the Criminal Legal System: Harlem FamilyWorks
By Sara Carrión, Policy Associate
An estimated 45% of American adults have had an immediate family member incarcerated for some period of time. Incarceration and interaction with law enforcement, even for a short period of time, disrupts and impacts the lives of individuals and their families and communities. The Osborne Association’s Harlem FamilyWorks program has worked to address these impacts and provide supports that improve familial and community relationships. Participants have reported that because of this program, they had improved relationships with their families.
Osborne’s Harlem FamilyWorks (HFW) program, an adaptation of their FamilyWorks program that was started 35 years ago, included two relationship workshop series that served individuals and families that have been affected by the criminal legal system. Incarceration disproportionately impacts lower-income communities and communities of color—Black people are three times more likely to have a family member who has spent at least a year in prison than white people, and adults with household incomes below $25,000 are 61% more likely than those with household incomes of more than $100,000 to have had a family member incarcerated. HFW participants reflected this reality: 51% of those served who reported their race/ethnicity were Black, and 37% were Hispanic or Latinx; 63% of those with income data reported that they earned less than $10,000/year.
Parental incarceration has been found to negatively affect children in a variety of ways related to financial and housing stability, mental and behavioral health, academic engagement and performance, and anti-social and criminalized behaviors. For individuals who have been incarcerated, familial relationships and connections are an important protective factor against re-involvement with the legal system. Accordingly, HFW aimed to promote healthy relationships in families and communities and build self-efficacy and self-esteem among individuals who have been incarcerated. The program offered separate workshop series for youth and adults—Youth Experience Success (YES) and Healthy Relationships—which covered topics such as self-respect, social resilience, healthy relationships, leadership and communication skills, civic engagement, college and career opportunities, and financial literacy.
The Urban Institute has conducted a process evaluation of HFW to identify strengths, barriers to success, and best practices for other programs that aim to serve those affected by the criminal legal system. The evaluation found that HFW shaped the program’s services, referrals, and participant supports with the needs of their focus population in mind. Participants felt that it improved their familial relationships.
A Program that Understands the Impacts of Incarceration
For HFW, Osborne aimed to serve individuals who either had been involved in the criminal legal system themselves or had a family member or loved one who had been. Accordingly, 33% of HFW participants reported that they were formerly incarcerated; 22% reported having a parent who had been incarcerated; and 21% reported the same for another loved one. Understanding the importance of having staff who participants could relate to, Osborne worked to hire individuals who had lived experience with the criminal legal system and/or were otherwise connected to the local community. Participants reported that this was a strength of the program and said that they appreciated the perspectives and experiences that staff shared in the workshops. Staff also perceived their lived experience to be helpful for them when working to build relationships and trust with participants.
Meeting the Needs of Individuals and Families Affected by Incarceration
The evaluation also highlights the importance of offering connections to services that support the other needs of those affected by the criminal legal system, including parent-child visits with incarcerated parents, counseling, and reentry supports. Program staff reported that participants appreciated the varied referrals and connections to other services that Osborne provided. Likewise, participants reported that they appreciated HFW workshop content, specifically on the topics of incarceration, domestic violence, job readiness, and financial preparedness.
HFW provided participants with a stipend to compensate them for the time that they dedicated to the program, understanding that families involved with the legal system are more likely to face financial challenges. Urban’s evaluation recommends that programs consider ways to reduce barriers to participant engagement including childcare, covering transportation costs, and having a flexible programming schedule.
A Safe Space to Process Trauma and Repair Family Relationships
Through the evaluation, participants and staff shared a number of aspects of HFW that they found to be beneficial to participants navigating reentry, understanding their trauma, and better relating to their family members. Participants appreciated the safe space that the workshops created, which made them feel comfortable discussing sensitive topics with program staff and peers. Participants also shared that the program helped them feel less shame about their legal system involvement, which helped them open up to their families. Participants felt that the program had helped them improve their relationships with their families and reported that staff helped them stay motivated towards reaching their goals. Program staff also reported that participants were willing to discuss their trauma related to incarceration and the stigma that they felt, which aided in their relationship repair and rebuilding.
Harlem FamilyWorks’ approach and feedback from its participants and staff provide important considerations for other organizations. With nearly half of Americans having an immediate family member who has been incarcerated, providers should consider offering programming that addresses the trauma and challenges related to incarceration and legal system involvement and that considers the needs of individuals who have been impacted by the legal system.
About the Program and Evaluation
The Harlem FamilyWorks evaluation, conducted by the Urban Institute, is managed by the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance. The program was funded through the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DANY). Feedback from participants and findings from the CCI’s interim evaluation are useful for understanding how Harlem FamilyWorks can be further strengthened for participants.
About the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG) and the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII)
The CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance manages the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII), which was established by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in 2015. ISLG provides technical assistance, conducts oversight, measures performance, and manages all CJII grantees.
The CJII focuses on three investment areas—crime prevention, reentry and diversion, and supports for survivors of crime. Harlem FamilyWorks was funded through the Family and Youth Development initiative, whose goal is to provide supports to families that address risk factors associated with increased chances of youth becoming involved in the justice system. This initiative is part of the CJII’s crime prevention-focused investments in Youth, Families, and Communities.