A report released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2000 reported that an estimated 721,500 Federal and State prison inmates were parents of minor children, reflecting nearly 1.5 million children nationwide who had at least one parent incarcerated.

The Arizona Parents Commission established the Children of Incarcerated Parents Initiative in 2004 in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Corrections. This initiative seeks to present gender-specific substance abuse treatment and family-focused transition services to female prisoners and their children. The most effective way to assist children of incarcerated parents is to help their parents become more fit parents, more productive citizens and to provide safe and stable living environments for their children.

The annual conference focuses on unique issues facing the population of children in Arizona with incarcerated parents, and what multi-disciplinary stakeholders can do to help them.