Can Family–Prisoner Relationships Ever Improve During Incarceration? Examining the Primary Caregivers of Incarcerated Young Men

Daniel McCarthy,Maria Adams

doi:10.1093/bjc/azy039

Abstract

How incarceration affects the lives of prisoners’ family members has received a growing level of interest amongst scholars during the past decade. The majority of research has pointed to the negative affects that incarceration wreaks on family lives. Yet, far less attention has been paid to the countervailing effects of incarceration, and in particular, cases where prisoner–family relations may improve during the sentence. Focusing on primary caregivers maintaining relations with young men in prison, we examine how and why these improvement dynamics exist, and consider what role incarceration may play in helping some families to rebuild relationships with prisoners in the restricted physical context of the prison.

Highlights

Prison has been overwhelmingly regarded as a criminogenic institution with negative consequences for prisoner outcomes and their family members left behind
We focus on the experiences of primary caregivers related to young men serving prison sentences
Visitation research has consistently pointed to the sustained benefits that family contact has with prisoners, with the incremental benefits of contact sending a reminder to prisoners that there are people that still care for them (Tasca et al, 2016; Pleggenkuhle et al, 2018). We identify with these findings, arguing that at least for some relations between caregivers and young men, visitation can serve as a key mode by which apologies may be announced, trust be developed and clarity about family members who care enforced through the efforts and commitment to visit

Summary

Introduction

Prison has been overwhelmingly regarded as a criminogenic institution with negative consequences for prisoner outcomes and their family members left behind. We focus on the experiences of primary caregivers related to young men serving prison sentences.

Results

Conclusion