...number of incarcerations increases. With this, the number of families torn apart by imprisonment increases. In the U.S. alone, there are approximately 1.7 million children with an incarcerated parent, and roughly one in eight children will experience having a parent imprisoned at some point in their childhood (Reckman and Rothstein). With numbers like this, it obvious that the amount of children being left without a parent is a problem in the U.S. The effects that parental incarceration have on a child can last a lifetime or cause consequences for the child that are difficult to escape. As children are the future of the U.S., studying the effects of the parental incarceration on children is extremely necessary. Having to adapt...
Words: 1201 - Pages: 5
...Paternal incarceration creates a temporary single-parenting system, in which the mother acts as sole guardian, but imprisonment tends to produce far worse effects on children than do other causes of parent-child separation (Lowenstein, 1986). Separation due to death or similar causes disrupt the family, yet these happen to provide a “focal concern around which the remaining members can rally and mitigate the impact of their loss”; quite to the contrary, separation due to imprisonment rarely elicits any such response because of the stigma with which it is associated (Fritsch & Burkhead, 1981, p. 84). Typically, a child faced with the social stigma of paternal incarceration will often also encounter embarrassment and shame, which may in turn further inhibit the ability of the child to adequately adjust to the anxieties resulting from the separation through incarceration (Hannon et al., 1984; Lowenstein, 1986). The deleterious effects on child behavior, of course, are that prolonged periods of shame and embarrassment may promote depression or behavior typical of withdrawal, such as an unwillingness to engage in social interactions. Unlike other causes for paternal separation, paternal absence due to imprisonment is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, which takes on different meaning depending on the manner in which the particular cause for the incarceration is perceived—either as being “normatively approved” or as “bearing a stigma” (Lowenstein, 1984). While there is a correlation...
Words: 1622 - Pages: 7
...Silent Battle: The Effects of Parental Incarceration on Children and Families By: Jessica Stamper The loss of a parent has an overwhelming impact on a child. When a parent dies or there is a divorce, there are endless opportunities to discuss the loss, but what happens when the absence is due to incarceration? Incarceration is not met with the same understanding and sympathy death and divorce are, making it harder to cope, creating additional and often more severe emotional and psychological effects on children. The topic is often considered taboo and this inability to communicate creates more anxiety for the child. They often feel alone, leaving them to suffer in silence. The loss of parents to prison can cause depression and trauma to a child. It compounds the existing environmental stress, such as the violent neighborhoods, poverty and a poor school system. The trend for the incarcerated differs with race, age, gender and economic status. In the same way, the effects on children range from emotional, behavioral and economic aspects. When a parent goes to prison, leaving behind their children, it creates devastating and often lasting effects on the family, as a whole. Equally affected, are the parent or guardian left to care for the children. It is a growing epidemic and with the constant rise of prison population, so does the numbers of families left to suffer the consequences. This paper investigates the effect of incarceration of a parent can have on a family...
Words: 1593 - Pages: 7
...Reflection of the incarcerated In society, the impact and consequences of mass incarceration and the impact that affects their children cannot be ignored. Mass incarceration extends far beyond the individuals behind bars. One aspect that cannot be ignored is the huge effect it has on their children. Children of incarcerated parents often face a myriad of challenges, including emotional distress, financial instability, and disruptions in their education and social lives. These consequences not only affect the immediate well-being of the children, but can have long-lasting implications on their future generation and their opportunities. Topics and my thoughts on what I focused on. Children of incarcerated parents often face emotional and psychological...
Words: 1318 - Pages: 6
...The United States of America has the highest incarceration rate in the world. America holds 5% of the world’s population, yet it houses 25% of the world’s prisoners (Walmsley 2013). The approximate amount of spending on our nations prisoners is 74 billion dollars, annually (Silver 2014). With the cost of rising incarceration in the U.S. and climbing recidivism rates, it is more apparent than ever that the American Prison Industrial Complex (“PIC”) is in great need of reform (Wagner 2014). The PIC enforces a recidivism cycle in which more than 50% of prisoners return to prison less than 3 years after release, thus being referred to by the PEW Research Center as “The Revolving Door of America’s Prisons” (2011). Not only is this cycle inflicting...
Words: 2111 - Pages: 9
...InterContinental University Abstract The justice system’s solution to dealing with offenders is incarceration. Alternatives to this, as a first response, are a better choice. Keeping families together and securing the welfare of children should be a priority. The outcomes of this new course will strengthen society and make a better life for all. Family First: Reforming the Justice System Three-fourths of one million parents are incarcerated. It is no surprise that the results of this are a damaged family structure, dysfunctional youth, and a perpetual cycle of more incarceration within the family. Something must be done to reduce the effects of parental incarceration to save the family and save the youth. To diminish the effects of having loved ones incarcerated, government agencies need to assist families by initiating mediation and rehabilitation programs as alternatives to incarceration, encouraging the justice system and community groups to assist with counseling families, and establishing policies to improve public relations between civil workers and the public. Mandating rehabilitation for offenders, as an alternative to incarceration, not only keeps families intact, it also saves taxpayers money. In a Journal Record Legislative Report (Carter, n.d.), Oklahoma Representative Wallace Collins said “We can pay now or we can pay later.” The cost of incarceration per inmate is more than three times higher than treatment programs per person. These programs also...
Words: 1247 - Pages: 5
...In the United States of America, crime has become more prevalent, in which often results in imprisonment. According to political scientists Amy Lerman and Vesla Weaver, “The American incarceration rate quadrupled between 1970 and 2010” (Goldstein). This essentially affects African Americans, as according to Leila Morsey, “For every 100,000 black men, more than 2,700 are imprisoned” (Morsy). While incarceration affects African Americans, it also as equally important, if not more with parents. The mass incarceration of parents impacts the influence on the children of those being detained. According to prevention researchers Jane Waldfogel and Elizabeth Johnson, the number of parents with children in prison had doubled, “Approximately 600,000 children had a parent in state...
Words: 593 - Pages: 3
...Broad Topic: Incarceration Narrowed Topic: Effects of imprisoned mothers on under-aged girls. Research Question: How does the imprisonment of mothers affect the development of under-aged girls negatively in America? According to (Raising Children Network, 2018) child development is " the term used to describe the changes in your child’s physical growth, as well as her ability to learn the social, emotional, behaviour, thinking and communication skills she needs for life. All of these areas are linked, and each depends on and influences the others". The first five years of a child's life is where their brain develop quickly and where they make sense of the world around them. At such an early age a child needs support and affection from their...
Words: 1391 - Pages: 6
...Community Corrections or Incarceration Are community corrections a better solution than incarceration? Michelle Brooks ITT Technical Institute Community Corrections or Incarceration Abstract In this research paper will read about different subjects and topics that pertain to incarceration and community corrections. The incarceration rate is going up in the United States while at the same time community corrections is slowly fading away because of limited support from the local communities and government officials within each state. In this research I hope to find out those community corrections has more to offer than incarceration. In conclusion incarceration is not the right way but community corrections will be. Community Corrections or Incarceration Table of Contents Abstract Introduction Background on Community Corrections Background on Incarceration Effectives of Community Corrections Effectives of Incarceration Programs dealing with Community Corrections Programs while Incarcerated Theory Interview with Mr. Sharron Wilson Result Reference Page Community Corrections or Incarceration Introduction Community Corrections is a better solution than incarceration because it offers many different alternative programs for several different types of offenders. Incarceration also offers similar programs...
Words: 6548 - Pages: 27
...Maternal incarceration can impact children not only by when they get arrested but also by how long the mother and child spend apart due to incarceration as well as by how often the mother is getting arrested. If a mother is incarcerated during early developmental years in her child’s life for a brief time then the impact of her incarceration can be less damaging. Women, on average, spend less time incarcerated than men and get incarcerated less frequently than men (Wildeman 2007). Maternal incarceration is separated into two types of incarceration, jail, and prison. When a mother is sentenced to jail time it is usually less than a year sentence. While mothers that are sentenced to prison are looking at spending more than a year away from their...
Words: 489 - Pages: 2
...term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their... more than 1 million nonviolent individual for drug related crime the biggest concerns is that millions of these incarcerated individual are parents. The majority of these parents are incarcerated for nonviolent offenses invovling illegal drugs there is a likelyhood that they will become estangled from their familes for long term sentencings. There are two factors contributing to the spiraling conviction and imprisonment especially at the federal court level. Prosecutors are holding these cases through plea bargaining and conspiracy laws but the most signficant factor fueling to this growth are the mandatory minimum sentencing. This report points to the implications of criminal sanction policies on families of felony offenders. Most important, it will highlight the social, health, and economic characteristics of families and children visiting an imprisoned family member and how these risk factors are connections with incarceration. Methods: To conduct these study researchers used “a semi-structured interview to administer family members visiting an incarcerated parent at the local jail in mid-Atlantic state”. The populations targeted were parents and caregivers who shared minor children with inmates were targeted for the study between the hours of 8:00 am to 11: am. A descriptive and comparative quantitative analyses was...
Words: 621 - Pages: 3
...CHILD SUPPORT DEBT AND THE INCARCERATED 2 CHILD SUPPORT DEBT AND THE INCARCERATED 3 The Effects of Child Support Debt and Support Order Modification Practices on the Incarcerated and Their Families Shondae Brumsey Simmons College Running head: CHILD SUPPORT DEBT AND THE INCARCERATED 1 The Effects of Child Support Debt and Support Order Modification Practices on the Incarcerated and Their Families Child support enforcement is in need of a complete overhaul in the United States. The current practices are oppressing a disproportionate number of its poor and minority population and weakening families. This paper will discuss the origins of child support, what policy changes could possibly improve it, and why we should care as social...
Words: 2454 - Pages: 10
...research is psychological impact of incarceration. I will be discussing the how incarceration psychological effects the prisoner and their family. This is an important topic to discuss because America is known for having the highest incarceration rate in the world. And even though America has the highest incarceration rate, crime still has not been eliminated or been deterred. In fact, the recidivism rates are high within the U.S so what psychological impact does incarceration have on prisoners and their families? The article, Children of incarcerated mothers, gives great information on the psychological effects of children that mothers are in prison. Children whose mothers are in prison are among the riskiest of the high...
Words: 925 - Pages: 4
...problems when one, or possibly both, parents are in prison. The issue of incarcerated parents, particularly mothers, is spreading with the increase of incarcerated women. While the parents clearly did something wrong if they are in prison, the children of these individuals should not be punished for their parents wrongdoings. These are a few of the points that I would remind people about in the beginning of a speech. The first point that I would bring up is just how many children are affected by a parent’s imprisonment. According to a 2008 Bureau of Justice Statistics report, 42 percent of mothers and 17 percent of fathers in state prison were living in single parent homes in the month before their arrest. It was also reported that 77 percent of mothers and 26 percent of fathers who lived with their children prior to their arrest provided the majority of daily care for their children and more than half of imprisoned parents provided primary financial support. (ncsl) In the United States, 1-in-28 children have a parent in jail or prison, which equates to about 2.7 million minor children (pewresearch). This means that when these parents were arrested, their children’s lives were completely shaken up because...
Words: 539 - Pages: 3
...African-American Males, Incarceration and Structural African-American Males, Incarceration and Structural Inequality Incarceration in the United States is one of the main forms of punishment or as many would like to state forms of rehabilitation. With that being the case, the United States, while being considered one of the most powerful and influential countries in the world boasts the highest “rehabilitation” rate in the world. The staggering part remains that not only do we have the highest prison population but our incarceration rate continues to grow as our creativity or desire to solve this problem continues to stagnate. One of the major issues when researching incarceration rates is the obvious elevated rate of young African-American males that are sentenced. While the percentage of African-American incarcerated males is extremely high the length of their sentences are shockingly elevated compared to the majority of population in the United States. “One in every nine African-American males aged 25-29 were in prison or jail in 2009, compared to one in twenty-seven Latino males and one in sixty white males in the same age group, according to the Sentencing Project”. ("State of Young America," 2009, para. 11) The question currently being dealt with in the United States is how do we accommodate all of these prisoners? Our countries answer has been quite simple, to build more prisons or as some would sugarcoat it, “rehabilitation facilities”. The correct question...
Words: 2198 - Pages: 9
