The growth in the number of men and women incarcerated over the past several years has affected an extraordinary number of children and families. In 1999, an estimated 721,500 state and federal prisoners were parents to nearly 1.5 million minor children. ^[1]   Further, more than seven million children are affected by the criminal justice system and can claim a parent in prison or jail, or under parole or probation supervision. ^[2]   Children with an incarcerated parent in state or federal prison vary widely in age. Though the majority of these children (58 percent) are under 10 years old, a significant number (28 percent) are between the ages of 10 and 14. ^[3]   Despite the lack of research exploring the impact of parental incarceration on children, it is clear that they are affected in many ways, and may exhibit a broad range of behavioral, emotional, developmental, and educational problems. ^[4]   Many of these children are at greater risk for depression, aggressive behavior and withdrawal, and criminal involvement. ^[5]   Two studies, each with a very small sample size, concluded that children of incarcerated parents may be more likely than their counterparts to become incarcerated themselves. ^[6]