The issue of incarcerated parents is particularly pressing in the United States because it has the highest per-capita incarceration in the world. The unintended consequence is the effect on the children of these incarcerated men and women, including the current 2.7 million children with a parent behind bars. Children affected by incarceration suffer higher instances of trauma, financial and housing insecurity, parental absenteeism, diminished academic performance, social alienation due to stigma, and juvenile delinquency. Entire communities are destabilized by the staggering number of families caught in the vicious cycle of intergenerational incarceration in the United States.

The objective of this research project was to identify the gaps that exist within the prison system and society that perpetuate intergenerational incarceration and recommend solutions that are actionable. This project was done in  partnership with the Office of New Urban Mechanics (ONUM) focusing on Salt Lake City's multi-agency Operation Rio Grande.

Research began with an extensive literature review and benchmarking best practices in the United States and other countries to gain a better understanding of current solutions supporting children of incarcerated parents. Student researchers then interviewed 500 prisoners in two correctional facilities in Salt Lake County to understand how prisoners view their parental responsibilities as well as the cycle of intergenerational incarceration since most prisoners grew up with a parent behind bars. The research process concluded with interviews with local stakeholders involved in the system such as judges, police officers, prison wardens, non-profit organizations, and federal agencies - United States Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the United States Department of Education.

The team of student researchers from ONUM presented findings to Representative McAdams, former Mayor of Salt Lake County, to the Salt Lake County's division of criminal justice, and at the Map the System Global Challenge - a global competition held at the University of Oxford.