Parental Incarceration & Children’s Human Rights Symposium
April 17, 2025 • 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Walter F. Mondale Hall • University of Minnesota Law School
Children of Incarcerated Caregivers & the University of Minnesota’s Human Rights Program hosted a dynamic day of learning, offering feedback, and shaping future policy to center the rights and best interests of youth whose parents face incarceration.
One in six Minnesota children has experienced a parent’s incarceration. Under international law, judges should consider the best interests of these children when deciding whether to incarcerate a parent.
On April 17, 2025, we presented innovative policies and gathered community and stakeholder feedback, with the goal of implementing change in Minnesota. Guests had the chance to hear from formerly incarcerated parents, adult children who were impacted by parental incarceration, and people working in the fields of law and corrections. Leading researcher Dr. Joshua Page spoke about his forthcoming book, Legal Plunder: The Predatory Dimensions of Criminal Justice, as well as findings and recommendations from the recent MNJRC report he co-authored, Toward Safety, Liberty, and Equity: A Community-Centered Framework for Redesigning Minnesota’s Pretrial System.
Our panels and breakout workshops featured promising interventions identified by our students and Policy Team, such as:
- Incorporating information about minor children into bail evaluations
- Creating a “Caregiver Court,” a parenting track within Minnesota’s specialty court system
- Using guardians ad litem in criminal proceedings to represent the best interests of children whose parents face incarceration
We enjoyed sharing our work, hearing your feedback, and pursuing policies that center the rights & voices of children whose parents are involved in the criminal legal system.
Meet Our Keynote Speaker Dr. Ebony Ruhland
Dr. Ebony Ruhland received her Ph.D. from the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota and is an associate professor at the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice. Her research focuses on how criminal justice policies and practices impact individuals, families, and communities. At the symposium, Dr. Ruhland framed the issue of parental incarceration, spoke to its impact on children, and discussed the importance of carefully evaluating policy proposals.
Weisman Art Museum Reception
Following the symposium, we held a reception at WAM from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
WAM’s SEEN exhibition featured currently incarcerated artists in collaboration with local artists, activists, and academics. Together they explored issues of incarceration, isolation, healing, and coming home.
Emily Baxter, founder of We Are All Criminals and curator of SEEN, gave a guided tour of the exhibition.
