In a nation that imprisons more of its citizens than any other, Indiana ranks near the top. In terms of the increase in the percentage of the population that's behind bars, Indiana rose to number four in 2008 and is expected to be second only to Alabama for 2009. The “Iron Law of Corrections” dictates ever increasing numbers of Hoosiers will be released each year from confinement.
The Department of Correction’s longitudinal studies reveal that employment post-release at sustainable wages is the number one predictor of recidivism. Released individuals face several barriers that…
Low-income fathers should be a part of the family policy equation. Men are able to financially contribute to their children's well-being and help lift them out of poverty in the short term. They also provide care and emotional supports that can improve children's life outcomes and help break the cycle of poverty in the long term. Unfortunately, far too many low-income men, and especially men of color, face barriers to playing these roles in their children's lives. They are disproportionately disconnected from some extremely vital domains, and that harms them, their children, and families more…
This paper introduces the major themes associated with young disadvantaged men, including low educational achievement, joblessness, out-of-wedlock childbearing, and incarceration. By age 30, between 68 percent and 75 percent of young men with a high school degree or less are fathers (NLSY). Half of them are married when their first child is born and far fewer continue their education post-high school. The paper briefly reviews four major forces that help shape social and economic outcomes for young men who are fathers and for their partners and children: employment and earnings prospects;…
This chapter addresses the reentry challenges faced by low-skilled men released from U.S. prisons. I empirically characterize the increases in incarceration occurring since 1970 and assess the degree to which these changes result from changes in policy as opposed to changes in criminal behavior. I discuss what is known about the children of inmates and the likelihood that a child in the United States has an incarcerated parent. The chapter then addresses the employment barriers faced by former prison inmates with a particular emphasis on how employers view criminal history records in…
Rising rates of incarceration since the 1970s, combined with high rates of fatherhood among men in jails and prisons, have led to an unprecedented number of children--more than 1.7 million in 2007--affected by paternal imprisonment. The growing literature documenting challenges faced by families following a father's incarceration raises grave concerns and suggests that the growing rate of incarceration among fathers might have the unintended consequences of increasing delinquency and criminality among their children. This paper uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to…
