Throughout the course of human history, “crime and punishment” has been a topic of debate, and in recent times, it has become the focal point of a global conversation. This may be due to the fact that one of the world’s leading nations, the United States of America, now also leads the world in incarceration rates, holding more people in prison than any other country.

This uniquely American statistic is often attributed to drastic changes to the criminal justice system that occurred over the past 40 years, beginning with Richard Nixon’s “War on Drugs” in 1971. Since then, the number of people imprisoned in the US has increased by 500%.

In response to growing criticism of America’s incarceration practices, many, like President Donald Trump, argue that a tough approach to crime is necessary to ensure both local and national security. However, this rhetoric tends to ignore the true societal impact of incarceration.

In most cases, it is not only the imprisoned who are facing punishment, but their communities, their families, and especially their children. In fact, a special report released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that 53% of people held in the nation’s prisons at midyear 2007 were parents of children under age 18.

More men and women in prison means more parentless children, a dynamic especially prevalent in the state of Kentucky.

Thirteen percent of children in Kentucky have had an incarcerated parent at some point in their childhood — the highest percentage in the nation.

From 2000–2010, although the crime rate remained virtually stagnant, Kentucky’s prison population increased at an alarming rate, approximately “four times faster than the national average over the prior decade,” as Kentucky Secretary of Justice and Public Safety John Tilley shared in an interview with Kentucky Youth Advocates. Tilley also told KYA, “This wreaked havoc on Kentucky’s most vulnerable families, leaving too many households in turmoil and far too many children separated from a parent.”

Children with incarcerated parents are also students, and because students spend most of their day in a classroom, our prison problem is also a school problem.

Among the best experts on the experiences of students with incarcerated parents are students themselves. And that is why I reached out to a non-profit organization called Amachi.

Founded in 2004, Amachi pairs children who have lost family members to the prison system with positive adult mentors. Since its inception, the organization has served more than 600 children. One of them is Bailey*, a 7th grader from Lexington.

At the age of eight, Bailey witnessed her father’s arrest — a moment that has remained a vivid image in her mind. “I used to beg [my dad] to take me for bike rides. He would walk next to me and I would ride my bike,” she shared. “One night, when we came out of the house, a bunch of cops jumped from behind cars with guns. They arrested him on the spot.”

Bailey initially had a difficult time coping with her father’s absence, which impacted her performance at school. “When he first went to jail, it was hard to focus in class because he was all I could think about,” she said. Although she shared her troubles with school counselors and other staff members, they proved to be incapable of providing the support that she needed, and as a result, Bailey felt neglected.

However, when Bailey’s mother signed her up for Amachi’s mentoring program at the end of her 6th grade year, everything changed. For the first time, she was surrounded by a team of adults, including her mentor, that recognized the plight of students with incarcerated parents and was dedicated to helping them succeed in the face of their adversities. “My mentor is really nice,” Bailey said. “She helps me when I feel angry and motivates me to do my best in school.”

To gain more perspective about potential methods to improve in-school support for children with incarcerated parents, I also spoke with Shay*, a high school freshman from Lexington and another Amachi mentee.

Shay, whose father has been in and out of prison for her entire life, stressed the importance of adult support, citing her own experience with a supportive teacher. “[My teacher] was the only person who knew about my dad,” she told me. “So when I got upset about it, she was the only one who knew how to calm me down.”

Shay also emphasized that every child is different, so the best way to understand what they need in school is to understand them as individuals.

“The teacher should know if a kid has a parent in prison,” Shay said. “Not for special treatment or attention, but so that they can understand why they may have certain problems in class.”

Maggie Middleton, Amachi’s Program Coordinator, told me even more about the often unique classroom experience of students with incarcerated parents. “Something that we need to realize in schools is that these kids do have the ability to learn,” she explained. “But they may not have the resources. It’s our job to figure out exactly what they need to succeed.”

Amachi mentors often team up with teachers to evaluate what is best for the child academically. In addition to serving as a reliable support system, the organization promotes personal growth and leadership. “If you’ve had an incarcerated parent, you really know how to survive and be resilient, and that’s an asset,” Middleton said. “So we work on how to use that because we believe that all of our kids have the ability to lead in some way.”

Middleton also shared a hopeful statistic: “86% of mentored youth go on to pursue higher education.”

Despite the measurable impact of organizations on students affected by Kentucky’s incarceration crisis, there is much more to be done. Today, Kentucky has the 11th highest imprisonment rate in the nation, and thousands of children across the state are paying the price.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s report “A Shared Sentence,” provides a list of viable solutions, contending that “State and federal criminal justice systems should preserve family connections during incarceration by encouraging judges and other key players to consider the impact on kids and families when making sentencing and prison-assignment decisions.” In other words, the most effective way to support students with incarcerated family members may involve bridging the gap between the power of the legislature and the compassion of a non-profit organization, like Amachi.

In the eyes of many, to be a child is to live without burden, responsibility, or stress, but this notion denies the realities of many Kentucky students. Many students’ lives are riddled with the kind of pain that most anyone would struggle to overcome, yet too many do not have the support that they need to succeed in the classroom. However, guided by Shay’s insight, Bailey’s perseverance, and Amachi’s dedication, it is possible to turn an old debate about crime and punishment into new action. We can — and therefore must — do more for Kentucky’s children with incarcerated parents.

*The names of minors have been changed to protect their privacy.

Rosalyn Huff is a 2016 graduate of Bryan Station High School in Lexington, Kentucky, a Questbridge Scholar at Columbia University, and a member of the Prichard Committee Student Voice Team.