For incarcerated fathers, prison rather than work mediates access to their families. Prison rules and staff regulate phone privileges, access to writing materials, and visits. Perhaps even more important are the ways in which the penal system shapes men’s gender performances. Incarcerated men must negotiate how they will enact violence and aggression, both in terms of the expectations placed upon inmates by the prison system and in terms of their own responses to these expectations. Additionally, the relationships between incarcerated men and the mothers of their children change,…
This volume reports on a study that explored the meaning and significance of the paternal role to jailed fathers and how the experience of going to jail affects that role. Characteristics of pre-incarceration relationships of jailed fathers in their families were also studied, as well as the nature and significance of contact with family during incarceration, the impact of pre-incarceration relationships of jailed fathers on the stress of incarceration, and the plans and expectations of jailed fathers regarding their paternal role following release. The study was conducted in two phases and…
Community Integration Workbook speaks directly to those readers who are looking to change their lives for the better, and who find themselves in groups of likeminded souls, groups facilitated by professional or paraprofessional counselors. It is also an effective tool for guiding the individual counseling of similar clients.
The purpose of this book is to provide a counseling guide, emphasizing the transition from institutions like prison, jail, halfway houses, homeless shelters, inpatient alcohol and substance abuse treatment facilities, mental hospitals, and various therapeutic…
Training Materials, Book
It is your job to help the offender prepare themselves for life on the outside. You may think this means helping them find a job or avoiding substance abuse issues. It certainly does, but another important area that needs to be addressed is the offender's family life. More specifically, they must take responsibility for their children. This manual, along with the workbook, will help you to prepare fathers for the tremendous responsibility that accompanies parenthood. This manual includes several reproducible worksheets and a participant certificate that can be given to all participants upon…
Preliminary data from the Fragile Families survey were analyzed to examine the impact of incarceration on marriage and family structure. The study specifically considered the characteristics of married and unmarried fathers at risk of imprisonment. Men who have been incarcerated are less likely to be married than men who have never been in prison. Former inmates were also less likely to have a relationship with the mother of their child at the child's first birthday. Regression analysis with incarceration as a dummy variable supported the finding that a history of incarceration negatively…
This book offers chapters by different authors discussing their experiences with group therapy and interventions encouraging fathers to play a greater role in their children's lives and practice other positive family behaviors. Small groups have the greatest potential to affect such changes for a number of reasons, the editors write, possibly because most social behavior occurs in small groups. Such groups are more effective in enhancing learning and create positive interdependence among members, especially in faith-based interventions. The editors also recognize the importance of the…
In recent years a number of programs have been initiated to provide incarcerated fathers with education and training in parenting skills. This chapter reviews research, theory and the evolving practice of such programs, including experiences of 125 inmates who have participated in parenting classes while in prison. The psychosocial and social needs of incarcerated fathers; recruitment and barriers; program goals; evaluation strategies; and a summary of core information to guide program development are presented. Common characteristics of imprisoned fathers and various prison parenting…
Tougher penalties for juvenile offenders and the disproportionate imprisonment of African American and Latino young men have resulted in an increase in the number of incarcerated fathers. Approximately one-quarter of all young men sentenced to juvenile facilities in California are fathers, a trend that has serious implications for the families of the men and society as incarceration reduces family income and interferes in a father's ability to provide emotional support to his children and their mother. This study examined the issues of fathering from prison, young fathers as parolees, and the…
This book contains expanded version of papers presented at the Natcher Center of the National Institutes of Health in January 2002. The papers address the consequences of imprisonment and reentry for individual prisoners, their families, and the communities to which these prisoners return. Preceded by an introductory chapter outlining current data on prisoners and their children and families, Part 1 examines the impact of prison itself. It examines the psychological impact of imprisonment, the experiences of women prisoners, and the ability of prison programs to improve the ability of…
This text explores the impact of parental incarceration on offender parents, children, and caregivers, reasons for the widespread incarceration of parents, and the intended and unintended consequences of the imprisonment of offenders. It begins with background information on the incarceration rate of the United States, the use of a family perspective to explore the impact of parental incarceration, the use of ecological theory and developmental contextualism to examine parental incarceration, and elements of a context-process-outcome framework. Chapter 2 discusses context and processes…
