Moms in prison learn ‘a different way’
Shelby County Correction inmate Sharda Jeffries, is one of several women taking part in a parenting class on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Around 2.7 million American children have experienced parental incarceration at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute of Justice in 2017. In Tennessee, it’s estimated that at least one in 10 children have experienced it.
Children with parents in jail or prison are a “very silent” group, according to Shari Ostrow-Scher with Maryland-based nonprofit Children of Incarcerated Parents.
“Often in this country, the person that goes away is poor, so they have less of a voice in society. So, it just becomes this gigantic secret. And that doesn’t help anybody. That’s no good,” she said in an interview. “And that’s why I wanted these kids to be out of the shadows and the caregivers and even the person in jail. Because the bottom line is, we want these kids to have happy, healthy lives.”
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Aarron Fleming
Aarron Fleming covers public safety for The Daily Memphian, focusing on crime and the local court system. He earned his bachelor’s in journalism and strategic media from the University of Memphis.
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