Incarcerated Parent Representation Program

In the Incarcerated Parent Representation Program, Drake Law students practice in juvenile court under the supervision of an experienced clinical professor.

The students represent incarcerated parents whose children are involved in Child In Need of Assistance (CINA) proceedings. Students gather facts, draft legal documents, advocate for their clients, and participate in court hearings, in addition to attending weekly classes and case reviews.

As part of the program, students and faculty collaborate with the judicial branch, state agencies, and community organizations to identify ways to decrease the significant impact on children of incarcerated parents.

Students and faculty also provide a wide variety of training to child welfare professionals, state agencies, and community organizations to facilitate efforts to support children and parents separated by incarceration.

Resources for Caretakers

• Custodian Guide to Parent-Child Interactions in Iowa Prisons (pdf)
• Incarceration Tool Kit - Sesame Street Little Children, Big Challenges
• Kids with Incarcerated Parents - Julie Poehlmann-Tynan, PhD
• Institution Visiting Hours - Iowa Department of Corrections
• Voices to be Heard - an Iowa-based support group for families who are separated by incarceration

Resources for Incarcerated Parents

• Parent Guide to Successful Parent-Child Interactions in Iowa Prisons (pdf)
• Handbook on Juvenile Court for Parents (pdf) - Iowa Judicial Branch
• Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families
• Parenting Inside Out 
• The Family Connection
• Applications for Appointment of Counsel and Order
• Iowa Courthouse Directory
• Navigating Reentry

Resources for Parent Attorneys

• Due Process - In Re. M.D. (Nov.30,2018)
• Visitation - In Re L.M. (Dec. 8, 2017)
• Iowa Appellate Incarerated Parent Case Law Update (pdf)
• Incarerated Parents Project - Washington Defender Association
• Attorney Guide to Representing Incarcerated Parents (pdf)

See also Sample Forms and Orders.

Resources for Child Welfare Professionals

• "A Shared Sentence: The Devastating Toll of Parental Incarceration on Kids, Families and Communities" - Annie E. Casey Foundation
• "A Voice for the Young Child with an Incarcerated Parent" - Lynne Rackman and Debra Rothstein, American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Litigation
• "Children of Incarcerated Parents" - Steve Christian, National Conference of State Legislatures
• Resolution in Support of the White House Initiative Regarding Children of Incarcerated Parents - National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
• Resource Guide - Iowa Department of Corrections-Community Connections Supporting Reentry

Tools for Iowa Social Workers

• Social Worker Guide to Evaluating Parent-Child Prison Interactions (pdf)
• DHS-FSRP Application Checklist (pdf)
• Prison Visitation Order (pdf)
• Iowa Dept. of Corrections Visitor Application (pdf)

Resources for Transnational Families Separated by Deportation/Detainment

• Attorney Guide to Assisting Transnational Families (pdf)
• Social Worker Guide to Assisting Transnational Families (pdf)

Partnering for Lasting Change - Training Sessions

Partnering for Lasting Change is a multidisciplinary training for social workers, DOC staff, judges and attorneys who practice in child welfare and the criminal justice systems. If you are interested in a training please contact Jami Hagemeier, 515-271-2073, jami.hagemeier@drake.edu.

Faculty and Staff

Jami Hagemeier, Interim Director of the Joan and Lyle Middleton Center for Children's Rights; Associate Clinical Professor
515-271-2073 jami.hagemeier@drake.edu