Exploring the Ties of Incarcerated Fathers with Their Families and Communities in the Western Cape—The Perspectives of Care Professionals

Abstract

ABSTRACT It is often argued that incarcerated men who stay connected with their families are less likely to reoffend. Despite the growing literature on non-residential fatherhood in South Africa, little research has been conducted on incarcerated men in South Africa. In this article, we draw on the expertise and perspectives of three research participants who used to work closely, as care professionals, with incarcerated men in the Western Cape. By drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s human development theory, the journeys of incarcerated men as fathers are explored here. The diversity and the nature of offences are important when the links between fathers, their children and other family members are considered during their entry, stay and release from correctional facilities. The care professionals are all attuned to the agency of the individual men, the close ties some have with deviant communities, the complexities of family environments and the socioeconomic pressure under which many incarcerated fathers and their families live. The context of a society, with a violent past and present, is also highlighted.