The children of America’s State and Federal prisoners number approximately 1.5 million. Combining these children with the children of community-based offenders brings the number of children with a parent involved in the criminal justice system to a staggering 7 million. The focus of the criminal justice system has traditionally been on offenders, but with incarceration rates continuing to increase, it is imperative that the criminal justice system respond to the needs of the children of offenders. However, the criminal justice system cannot be expected to take on this task on its own, but should foster cooperation with local private sector or not-for-profit agencies. In December of 2000, Congress appropriated funding in the amount of $4 million to help toward this goal. Eleven sites were chosen from over 100 submissions to receive a portion of the Children of Prisoners initiative funding. Services provided by these organizations, in partnerships with their local criminal justice systems, span the spectrum and include family case management, transportation assistance, youth groups, after school programs, and summer programs. Most States have some services for the children of incarcerated offenders, but the need vastly exceeds the available resources. Federal, State, and local initiatives continue to emerge to meet the needs of this surging population. The Children of Prisoners initiative underscores the importance of collaborations between the criminal justice system and local service providers. The wealth of expertise offered by such a multidisciplinary approach far exceeds the growing pains of learning to work in unison. Endnotes