(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Julie Poehlmann , University of Wisconsin-Madison

(THE CONVERSATION) Across Pennsylvania, an estimated 65,459 children have a parent in jail or prison. That’s according to a recent email inquiry to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Nationwide, nearly half of adults have experienced a close family member being in jail or prison, and 1 in 14 children have lost a parent who was living with them to incarceration.

In May 2025, state Rep. Andre Carroll, whose district covers parts of northwest Philadelphia , and whose own father was incarcerated when Carroll was a child, introduced PA House Bill 1506 . The proposed law “focuses on improving communication betw

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