Resource: Prison Reforms Can Have Positive Impact on Kids, Expert Says

Lawmakers can protect the children of nonviolent inmates by expanding existing prison reforms and working with judges who sentence parents, a leading expert in sentencing said Tuesday.

Children of such offenders suffer from low academic achievement and struggle as they become adults, said John Hagan, a sociology and law professor at Northwestern University and American Bar Foundation researcher.

Those things should be taken into account when dealing with incarcerated nonviolent offenders, he said.