Incarcerated Women and Their Families

Abstract

Women represent a small proportion of the total inmate population in the United States; however, this population has experienced a dramatic increase over the past four decades leading to many negative consequences related to the imprisoned women themselves, their children, and their families. Women are predominantly the caregivers of their children before incarceration, meaning that the imprisonment of a mother usually is more disruptive to a child than the imprisonment of a father. It is necessary to consider these outcomes when developing correctional programming, particularly those that aim to maintain bonds between incarcerated mothers and their children, as they have the potential to mitigate psychological and behavioral issues for incarcerated women and their children, contribute to successful familial reunification, and reduce recidivism rates for women once they are released.