Children With Incarcerated Parents

Abstract

More than 5 million US children have experienced a co-resident parent leaving for jail or prison. When parents are arrested, jailed, or sentenced to incarceration in jail or prison and released back into the community, their children experience changes at multiple levels. Children with incarcerated parents are more likely than their peers to experience multiple risk factors and stress exposures, including chronic poverty, parental unemployment, domestic violence, neighborhood violence, homelessness, and parental mental illness and substance abuse. Some risks occur prior to incarceration, whereas others occur during or following incarceration. This chapter provides a statistical portrait of children with incarcerated parents; reviews of risks commonly experienced by these children and research findings focusing on the well-being of children with incarcerated parents; a summary of incarceration-related experiences commonly encountered by affected children; and a discussion of implications for policy and practice.

Attachment in young children with incarcerated fathers

“…Our lab recently reported preliminary findings regarding children's affect and attachment behaviors while visiting their parents in jail (Poehlmann-Tynan et al, 2015). Using a measure that we developed, 20 children and their families were observed from the time that they arrived at the corrections facility until they completed the visit with the incarcerated parent.…”

“…Although the caregiving environment is implicated in attachment-related processes in high-risk children, for many COIP a second incarceration-specific context may activate attachment behaviors (Poehlmann et al, 2010). During visits with a parent in jail, children experience many conflicting feelings such as confusion, happiness, and anxiety (Poehlmann-Tynan et al, 2015) and the quality of the caregiver–child relationship may serve as a key determinant of children's affect and behaviors during this emotionally intense experience. Visitation practices and policies vary by institution, with some correctional facilities providing caregivers with little control over conditions.…”

“…Visitation practices and policies vary by institution, with some correctional facilities providing caregivers with little control over conditions. For example, because of the layout of many visitation areas, children are often exposed to other visitors (Poehlmann-Tynan et al, 2015). Because of the potential stressors present in a corrections environment, it is likely that children's attachment systems become activated.…”