Impact of Maternal Incarceration on Children

Abstract

Children with incarcerated mothers have been identified as one of the most vulnerable and at risk populations in the United States. They are particularly vulnerable to poor outcomes as their mother's incarceration exacerbates the level of risk often acknowledged for all children of incarcerated parents. Maternal incarceration is a unique and intensifying risk factor as mothers are more likely than fathers to be children's primary parent and more likely to be economically disadvantaged before, during, and after incarceration. When fathers are incarcerated, children usually remain with their mothers. When mothers are incarcerated, children are separated from their mother and child‐rearing responsibilities are transferred to an alternative parent, most often a grandmother. Impacts of maternal incarceration include attachment disruption, family structure disruption and reorganization, caregiver stress, and financial strain. Recent research finds impacts from maternal incarceration – such as a multigenerational crime and incarceration effect, damaged mother–child attachment, mental health issues, diminished school performance, and delinquent behavior – to be more powerful than the impacts of paternal incarceration.