It’s well-established that a prison sentence doesn’t just impact the individual sent behind bars; it affects the familytoo. Now, a new study hints at yet another path through which harsh criminal justice laws, including policies that send many to prison, hurt families and kids. Children living in states that have “extensive and punitive criminal justice systems” are more likely to be placed in foster care, the study finds. Children living in states that have “broad and generous welfare programs,” on the other hand, are less likely to be removed from their homes.

The study underscores how wide-ranging the effects of criminal justice and welfare policies can be. While nobody votes for criminal-penalty laws thinking about the kids who will be taken from their families, that’s exactly what ends up happening, according to the study, published yesterday in the journal American Sociological Review. And considering the fact that an estimated six percent of American kids go into foster care at some point, including 12 percent of black kids and 15 percent of American Indians, these laws can clearly affect a lot of people.

[For more of this story, written by Francie Diep, go to https://psmag.com/want-to-keep...691e757b2#.jfz3eldkk]