'These Children Don't Understand Why Mom's Not There'

This is the lament of Susan F. Sharp, a University of Oklahoma sociology professor. Indeed, when Mom's not there, the children "may become sad, withdrawn, have a low self-esteem, experience a decline in school performance, have health problems, or start using drugs or alcohol and participating in criminal behavior, she said."

Very true, and very sad. It's true when Mom is incarcerated, and it's also true when the child is incarcerated.