By RICK M. GREEN Capitol Bureau rmgreen@oklahoman.comOne in 10 Oklahoma children have had a parent in jail or prison at some point in their childhood, according to statistics released Monday by The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Oklahoma is one of eight states with 10 percent or more of children who fit into this category, a statistic that takes in 5.1 million young people across the nation. Former House Speaker Kris Steele and other advocates for children gathered Monday at the state Capitol to discuss the problem of parental incarceration, to urge a continuation of criminal justice reforms and to encourage efforts to aid young people. Steele said that since Oklahoma leads the nation in female incarceration and has the second-highest male incarceration rate, it's understandable that many children have parents behind bars. "It's no accident that Oklahoma also leads the nation in grandparents raising grandchildren and that our numbers in foster care continue to swell," he said.

BING NEWS:
  • Some Oklahoma parents turn kids over to the state after struggling to get mental health care for them
    Once abandoned, these youth can face time in shelters or eventually age out of foster care, advocates and providers say. More intensive services early on could help keep families together.
    12/20/2024 - 2:59 am | View Link
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