The Impact Of Parental Incarceration

The safety of the youth in his incarceration depends on factors that may go way back to family and may be less related to (although supplementary to) institutional conditions as the Keeping Kids Safe (KKS) (2009) research study of Judy Finlay showed.

“Prisoners earn little while incarcerated and even after release, men with a history of incarceration face structural and social barriers to employment. Many are unable to find stable and well-paying work even long after their release” (Geller et all., 2009). Low-earning parents tend to live in poorer neighborhoods. These neighborhoods often have poorer schools within them which directly affect a child’s academic success. However, researchers agree that adding an incarcerated parent to this equation intensifies the negative effect their children experience with academics.

If charges are dropped or alternative sentencing is utilized, an individual may only be away from home for a few days or weeks. However, if an individual is convicted on severe charges, they could be imprisoned for many years. Although varying sentence lengths will have varying effects on families, all sentence lengths for parents will likely disrupt the family structure in ways that negatively affect the incarcerated parents, their children, and/or the parents or guardians caring for the children. Eddy and Poehlmann (2010) argue that, “Each parent-child separation represents moments of childhood that cannot be put on hold and missed life experiences that may be crucial for a child’s well-being and development” (p. xiii). The following literature review delves into research on the effects that parental incarceration has on the family unit and identifies factors which lessen or intensify the impact of such effects. Finally, I conclude the literature review by applying the presented research to the Montgomery County Collaboration Council’s Creating Healthy Bonds program, noting the extent to which areas of the programmatic structure do or do not address the effects of parental

When someone’s parent is put into prison, a new issue is added to the many that are already on that person’s plate. This is illustrated well when Goffman says, “we’re asking kids who live in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, who have the least amount of family resources, who attend the country’s worst schools… were asking these kids to walk the thinnest possible line to basically never do anything wrong”(How we’re). The kids who are dealing with many issues are slowly being crushed by all the issues they go through with one being added each moment. They only do the things that they do to survive and the judicial system is not helping because it seems to target these kids. J. Mark Eddy, a licensed Psychologist, and Jean Mollenkamp Kjellstrand, from Columba University, states that “The incarceration of a parent is not often the start of the problems for a child and family, but rather a continuation… characterized by poverty, social disadvantage, unstable home life, substance abuse difficulties, mental health problems, abuse, trauma, and community violence” (552). This is just saying when kids are put through all these difficulties, they are more likely to fill that hurt with drugs, hurting someone or themselves, crimes, and even suicide. All these things can cause emotional trauma because it was already hard enough to live happy then now their parent went to jail and just made it even tougher. It just seems as if weights are slowly being added to them until they can’t resist to do something illegal. Neglecting the kids that have parents that are in prison will only cause them to replace their parents when the time comes. According to Richard J. Coley, the director of the Educational Testing Service Center for Research on Human Capital and Education, and Paul E. Barton, an education writer and consultant, children who have a parent who is

If youth with incarcerated household members experienced more social and economic adversity and worse school outcomes than the rest of the sample.

Children of incarcerated parents are a vulnerable group in August 2000 The Bureau of Justice Statistics analyzed a 1997 survey of inmates in State and Federal Corre ctional Facilities to examine parenting stats of prisoners. The survey showed that

The United States’ ever-expanding prison and jail population has brought about many questions regarding the side-effects of mass incarceration, namely involving the effects on the children and families from which those incarcerated are removed. Regardless of the perspectives on the appropriate position of incarceration in the criminal justice system, imprisonment disrupts many positive and nurturing relationships between parents and their children. In fact, more than 1.7 million children have a parent who is incarcerated in a state or federal prison as of 2007 (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008). These youths are at risk for developing behavior and school problems in addition to insecure attachment relationships. Parental incarceration, which may also be coupled with economic disadvantage and inconsistent living arrangements (Geller, Garfinkel, Cooper, & Mincy, 2009) can be an extremely difficult experience for children. It should come as no surprise that families with children suffer economic strain and instability when a parent is imprisoned, considering how each parent in today’s world typically needs to set aside time to earn an income to support their family, and most are unable to support their homes on one income. While it may be considered intrusive to some to intervene in the lives of children and families with incarcerated parents, research has suggested that there are positive societal benefits to intervening in the lives of incarcerated parents and their

The International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies article titled, “Incarcerated Mothers and Fathers: How their Absences Disrupt Children’s High School Graduation” by Huynh-Hohnbaum, Bussell, and Lee (2015) details a great deal of research on how parental incarceration affects the children in regards to education. Lately, along with the entire justice system, parental incarceration has also been scrutinized for its effects on the children of incarcerated parents and how well they do in school as well as the other effects an incarcerated parent has on other aspects of a child’s life. Huynh-Hohnbaum, Bussell and Lee (2015) point out that having an incarcerated mother seems to have a greater effect on a child, but having either parent

The research study conducted by Anna Harrison focuses on the psychotic disorders that exist in incarcerated juveniles. The study examines the patterns of incarceration among the youth and how it exasperates development or continuance of mental disorders. Harrison emphasizes on the importance of studying factors that contribute to mental illnesses within juveniles. For the purpose of this study, Harrison collected a random sample of 1,829 juveniles entered into the Juvenile Treatment Detention Center (JTDC) in Chicago, Illinois. The sample selected was stratified by race/ethnicity, gender, age and legal status, which defined whether the individual was in the Juvenile Court or Adult Court at the time of the study. Baseline interviews were conducted while the juveniles were detained and continued over the next fourteen years for a follow

When someone is incarcerated it not only affects them but it takes a toll on their family. For example, men who are incarcerated and leave children behind. This affects the household and its finances. This is due to the fact that in some households men are the primary breadwinner. Children of women who are incarcerated sometimes end up homeless or in foster homes. This has a negative effect on the children because they lack the guidance and basic fundamentals a parent provides. Children who have a parent in jail are emotionally affected because there's no balance within their life, especially if their parent is always in an out of jail. Some kids start doing poorly in school, acting out and sometimes get involved in criminal

Sometimes the effects are beneficial, for example when an abusive, negligent or violent parent is incarcerated, thus removing the risk of harm from the household. However, sometimes the effects are detrimental, and the child faces mental illness, behavioural problems, failure in school, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and many other problems (Simmons). A child that witnesses the crimes and/or the arrest of their parent might experience flashbacks about their parents crimes or arrests (Simmons). A child might also be bullied in school because his/her child is never present for school events such as family day because he is in prison. Additionally, parental incarceration can result in an increased likelihood that the child will commit offences, either in adolescence or adulthood. According to the Women’s Prison & Home Association, Inc., “Children of offenders are five times more likely than their peers to end up in prison themselves. One in 10 will have been incarcerated before reaching adulthood,” (Simmons). Unfortunately, these negative effects are more prevalent in males. Because it is more likely that a father would be incarcerated, the male child no longer has a male role model and father figure in his life. In both male and female children, the negative effects of parental incarceration results in children engaging in dangerous, illegal activities as a way to cope. These activities include stealing, underage

In our society, a stigma is put on anything related to crime or incarceration. I don't a have direct relationship with incarceration and the pressure it puts on families, but I have witnessed the negative perspective and preconceptions that are set when talking about incarceration. As a society, we speak of the families or children that have been impacted by incarceration as if they are the ones that have committed the crime. I have been guilty of this prejudice as well. I've automatically assumed the that families impacted and children know the implication of their parent's or spouse's crime and should have the ability to cope with incarceration. However, I now realize that because of this stigma of incarceration, it often impacts those involved in their capacity to deal, to find resources to help with the financial stressors and their overall mental health. To better improve the over the health of the families, the state and the federal government have implemented resources and policies that can better help families understand their unique situation and the resources available to them. The research has to lead me to gain a perspective on incarceration and its impact, giving me a perspective and the resources to help families

Where parents and their children reside can have a huge impact on their lives in many different aspects. Children with parents that are incarcerated, are typically raised in poor and poverty stricken neighborhoods. “Of course there are middle-class and even some wealthy offenders, but when proportioned, over 90 percent of offenders are what we would define as poor” (Maier 93). “Poverty is the big background picture, the framework, the major context for crime, criminal behavior, and incarceration” (Maier 93). Although it may not be preventable, living in areas where crime occurs so regularly and drugs are at such easy access, it is hard for these parents to avoid it all and they end up falling short to the temptation of it all. So for those living in

The impact of a mother’s arrest is more disruptive on the family. According to the California Research Bureau “two thirds of incarcerated mothers were the primary caregivers for at least one child before they were arrested” (Simmons, 2000, p. 6) With significant impact on the family unit it is difficult not to mention the effect of mothers being incarcerated is creating more psychological problems among children. Parental arrest creates shame, fear, guilt, trauma, and anxiety, which in turn adds to the decline of behavior manifestations in children. When children withdraw, or have low self-esteem their school performance declines, truancy increase, and the alcohol and drug usage leads to aggressive actions which creates cycle of incarcerations. More than half of those incarcerated receive visits from their children. I believe that if these women are in detention for behaviors that do not impair others then we should have one facility per state that incorporates a campus like environment for prolonged sojourns for children.

Being the child of an incarcerated parent has substantial amounts of negative influences on youth today. As young children, many consider their parents as role models. Someone who they can confide in, someone who will preserve them, and someone who will guide them through life. For most youngsters having an incarcerated parent, means that their admirable example in life is absent. Not having a parent present in one's childhood leads to innumerable negative outcomes and impacts.