Expanding the Minnesota Model Jail Practices Learning Community to Support Children of Incarcerated Parents

This Minnesota Department of Health project builds strategically on a successful learning community model. The project aims to build a statewide initiative to expand model practices supporting incarcerated parents and their children in at least 12 jails across the state. In Minnesota, more than two-thirds of adults in jail are parents with minor children and most lived with one of their minor children before their arrest; a majority of incarcerated parents with minor children are interested in parenting education classes. This project has two primary goals: 1) to increase the quantity and quality of parent-child interactions among parents in partner county jails; and 2) scale model jail practices across the state until they become standard practice in all Minnesota jails. These goals will be achieved through a number of activities, including increasing incarcerated parents’ access to evidence-based parenting education classes, building community coalitions and partnerships, providing staff and partner training, leveraging state agency partnerships, and implementing other model jail practices (such as improving the visiting environment, intake practices, etc.).