African-American Boys At Risk To Become Incarcerated Fathers

According to a 2010 report from the Pew Charitable Trust, 2.7 million children had a parent behind bars.

That breaks down to 1 in 9 for African American children, 1 in 28 for Hispanic and 1 in 57 for white children.

Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell says take a moment to think about, “the children of the incarcerated, who are walking through our lives every day because there are so many of them. They do not have the opportunity to bond with their parents for many, many reasons.”

Dr. Treadwell is a research professor at the school’s department of Community Health and Preventative Medicine.

She’s writes about what’s called the social determinants of health in her book, Beyond Stereotypes in Black and White: How Everyday Leaders Can Build Healthier Opportunities for African American Boys and Men.

Dr. Treadwell says the downward spiral starts at an early age for black boys.

“Issues that relate more to counseling, anger, anger management, things that happen to young boys that let them drop out, push and get suspended from school.”

So why does this happen?

Dr. Treadwell says low-employment; low educational skills and simply growing up poor are the stresses and struggles that black boys growing into black men deal with.

But, Dr. Treadwell addresses the argument that being a product of one’s environment is an excuse for the actions of black males that land them behind bars

“We have not corrected those ills that have come down historically and until we do, blaming the victim is simply a way of trying to wash your hands and walk away. But, it doesn’t do anything to stabilize families.”

Dr. Treadwell says providing resources to school systems, having access to healthcare for mental health issues and implementing alternative reforms instead of incarceration for minor crimes, are all crucial to derailing the path to prison.