Saturday Morning at the Jail: Implications of Incarceration for Families and Children^*

TLDR

Little is known about the experience of families affected by incarceration, yet current trends indicate that millions of children have a parent who is imprisoned. The study discusses implications for family practice and policy. The authors interviewed 56 caregivers visiting an incarcerated family member during children’s visiting hours, using a conceptual framework that captures losses associated with parental incarceration and collecting data on family, health, economics, and legal aspects. Families were already economically vulnerable before incarceration, and the most vulnerable experienced greater financial strain afterward, while incarceration also increased parenting strain, emotional stress, and concerns about children’s reduced involvement with the parent.

Abstract

Little is known about the experience of families affected by incarceration, yet current trends indicate that millions of children have a parent who is imprisoned. Using a conceptual framework that acknowledges the losses associated with a parent's incarceration, 56 caregivers visiting an incarcerated family member during children's visiting hours were interviewed. The interview gathered information about family, health, economics, and the legal aspects of the inmate's situation. Overall, families were at risk economically before incarceration, and the most vulnerable became even more financially strained afterward. Other problems believed to be created by incarceration included parenting strain, emotional stress, and concerns about children's loss of involvement with their incarcerated parent. Implications for family practice and policy are discussed.