Hour Children serves an overlooked population of mothers and children rejoining the community and reuniting as family.
An estimated 62% of women incarcerated in state prisons are mothers with children under the age of 18. About half of these children are 9 or younger. 64% of incarcerated mothers reported living with their children just prior to imprisonment. It is estimated that there are more than 105,000 children with a parent in prison or jail in New York State alone.
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About 82% of women in New York’s prisons report having an alcohol or substance abuse problem prior to arrest. 70% of women in treatment report having been abused as children.
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50% of women who enter the prison system nationally do not have a high school diploma or GED. Hour Children meets women where they are, and works with them to find the right educational program, whether it be a GED program, vocational training/certification programs, or, increasingly, college.
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Only 28% of incarcerated women had full-time employment prior to their arrest. 27% were unemployed. Of those who have held a job, two-thirds reported never receiving more than the minimum wage. Our emphasis on education and our continuing follow-up support help our women maintain gainful employment. This includes case management, therapeutic support, and mentoring, .
The Centers for Disease Control has characterized the incarceration of a parent as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) that in conjunction with other factors, may lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and poor school performance. Our expertise helps to support families both during the period of separation and as they work to reunite.
Women in our programs are almost six times less likely to return to prison
Hour Children’s historical recidivism rate for participants in our community-based programs is less than 5%,
compared to state-wide rates for women of 29% within three years.
In the past year:
91 children benefited from nurturing mentor relationships through Hour Friend in Deed.
We provided supportive housing to nearly 200 women and children.
118 women took advantage of employment training and placement services at Hour Working Women Program, making them more qualified for livable-wage jobs.
35 children were able to spend a week in the summer visiting with their mothers at Bedford Hills and Taconic Correctional Facilities through our Summer Program.
Nearly 40,000 people shopped at Hour Community Food Pantry.
100% of the children participating in Hour Friend In Deed and Hour Teen Scene remained enrolled in school and avoided involvement with the criminal justice system and gang activity.
A face to the numbers.
Meet Sarah Murphy
Sarah Murphy first connected with Hour Children when she was pregnant and incarcerated at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. After her son was born Sarah lived with her baby in the nursery run by Hour Children there, taking parenting classes and bonding with her youngest child.
Sarah almost turned down the opportunity for work release because she was worried that she would be separated from her baby. She already had to say goodbye to her young twins, who were living with her parents in Syracuse, NY. With guidance and support from Hour Children, Sarah learned that she could begin to rebuild her life—with her son—through Hour Children’s programs and supportive housing community.
Now, with Hour Children’s help, Sarah’s twins may soon join her in New York City, and her family will be reunited. Sarah loves her busy life, although she admits it’s hard.
After working as an office assistant with the Hour Working Women Program, Sarah now works at Queens Defenders. She wants other incarcerated mothers to know that there is hope for a better future. “You have to do the work,” she says, “but you can get your life back together.”
Make a difference with every dollar you give
$25 provides a visitor to Hour Children with food for 7 meals
$50 provides money for children’s lunches on visiting trips
$100 helps pay for hotel expenses when families bring children from afar to visit their incarcerated mothers
$250 helps buy supplies for our child care programs
$500 helps fund the transportation program for children visiting their incarcerated mothers
$1000 provides a woman from Hour Working Women and a child in School Fun with a laptop