Collective Punishment of Children and Families

(image from NYT

Those of us working to expose the harms of America’s mass incarceration system know that one of its most brutal and rarely discussed consequences is the collective punishment of children and families. That reality came through powerfully when author Harriet Clark discussed the impact of collective punishment/ incarceration on her family during an interview on Fresh Air.

Clark’s acclaimed debut novel, The Hill (2026), draws on her 37 years of experience visiting her mother in prison.

The phrase “Collective Punishment” feels especially urgent this month, as a friend’s grandchildren will soon be separated from their mother for decades. It is a heartbreaking probability—and one that our mass incarceration system  disregards.