Brief
This NRFC information brief draws on research on the impacts of parental incarceration for children and families and offers suggestions to help fatherhood programs, correctional agencies, and other community service providers support families impacted by incarceration.
There are many predictors of successful fatherhood involvement. One of the key predictors that I found in my work with families was the father’s relationship with the children’s mother as well as whether the father was a resident or non-resident of the home. Specifically looking at predictors of father involvement, fathers who have a better relationship with the children’s mother tend to have more access to their children (Cabrera, Tamis-LeMonda, Bradley, Hofferth, & Lamb, 2000; Coley & Hernandez, 2006). During my work, I have noticed that human service agencies are more tailored…
Divorce is a stressful process for families. One parent being incarcerated further complicates several aspects of the family relationship, such as communication, custody arrangements, child support, and relationship maintenance. This guide is part of a series aimed at helping families in which parents are separated or divorcing and who share parenting responsibilities for children.
Brief
What happens to children when their parent is released from jail or prison? The answers vary. It depends in part, on the quality of the attachment to that parent before and during incarceration.(Adalist-Estrin, 1993) Another factor is the extent of the trauma created by the parent’s offense, arrest, and imprisonment. (Johnston, 1992)
The child’s adjustment to a parent’s parole is also significantly related to the presence and quality of protective factors and support systems that were available during the incarceration period and upon release. (Gaynes, 1994, Johnston, 1993) Finally…
Visitation can be an important and meaningful experience for incarcerated parents and their children, but it can also bea source of stress and anxiety when parents’ or children’s expectations do not align with what ends up happening. Many aspects of visitation are outside of the control of an incarcerated parent, but there are things you can do to anticipate problems and reduce stress to make visitation a positive and beneficial experience for everyone involved. Below are things to consider when planning for a visit from your child. If you do not know the answer to a question, think about who…
Brief
This brief, one of three in a series, describes the key strategies Community-Centered Responsible Fatherhood Ex-Prisoner Reentry Pilot Project (Fatherhood Reentry) programs used to provide responsible parenting activities to participating fathers and their families. The brief also provides recommendations, based on an implementation study of the Fatherhood Reentry programs, for practitioners implementing responsible parenting activities for the reentry population. (Author abstract)
Brief
This brief, one of three in a series, focuses on Community-Centered Responsible Fatherhood Ex-Prisoner Reentry Pilot Project (Fatherhood Reentry) programs’ efforts to support healthy marriage among program participants. Fatherhood Reentry programs included several activities to strengthen relationships between fathers and their partners/coparents and to encourage healthy coparenting and family reunification. This brief describes the activities provided by the Fatherhood Reentry programs and offers recommendations, based on an implementation study of the Fatherhood Reentry projects, for…
The following is a list of suggestions that you can use to maintain the attachment to your children from inside a prison. (Author abstract)
Other
This resource was developed under an Innovation and Improvement Project grant from the Office of Head Start with the goal to encourage and support positive relationships of families with infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children of incarcerated fathers or fathers on probation or parole. Head Start programs may find this resource useful. (Author abstract)
Men and women who are incarcerated face substantial challenges to maintaining their family relationships, both intimate and parenting. These difficulties continue as they reenter into society after their incarceration. Absence from or low levels of contact between partners due to incarceration places strain on marriages and serious romantic relationships. Parental absence due to incarceration can also imperil the well-being of children (if the parent-child relationship was not abusive). Studies show that incarcerated individuals with closer family relationships have lower recidivism rates,…
