Having a parent go to prison is a nightmare, but it doesn't actually make a kid's school grades drop like we always thought it did.
March 27, 2026
Original Paper
Short-Term Consequences of Parents’ Criminal Legal System Involvement for Children’s Academic Performance
SSRN · 6464480
The Takeaway
While children of incarcerated parents do have lower scores, this study found the gap is entirely explained by pre-existing family disadvantages. When comparing kids before and after a parent's arrest, the arrest itself had no significant impact, suggesting that systemic poverty, not the legal system's involvement, is the primary driver of the academic gap.
From the abstract
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds disproportionately experience parental criminal legal system (CLS) involvement, potentially hindering their academic achievement. Using linked administrative data from Wisconsin, this study examines the implications of parental CLS involvement for the educational outcomes of 137,938 children ages 7-15 (49% female, 60% White, 13% Black, 16% Other, 11% Hispanic). Using a future treatment comparison group – children whose parents will, but are not currently,