Financial strain, the transference of stigma, and residential instability: A qualitative analysis of the long‐term effects of parental incarceration

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThis study seeks to document the long‐term effects of parental incarceration on life course by interviewing adults who had a parent incarcerated when they were a child.BackgroundAn exponential increase in incarceration in the late 20th century has produced many adverse effects and increased social disadvantage for families and communities. From the life course perspective, parental incarceration is argued to be a detrimental experience in numerous ways.MethodsThis study utilizes (N = 31) in‐depth qualitative interviews with adult respondents in California who experienced parental incarceration at some point in their life. The study uses descriptive phenomenology to examine the effects of parental incarceration on life course.ResultsThe themes discussed in this study are financial and emotional strain, residential instability, and the transference of stigma. Financial strain and residential instability were associated with many negative effects for children of incarcerated parents. Participants recalled such experiences as consistently moving residencies, attending multiple schools, homelessness and inability to attend school, and lack of household resources. The transference of stigma occurred when a parent's record became a representation of a child's moral worth. Interviewees reported feeling or experiencing stigmatization, in social and professional settings, due to their parent's incarceration or criminal record.ConclusionThis study illuminates how the life course experience of parental incarceration can have significant long‐term impacts on children, potentially placing them at risk. Documenting the intergenerational impacts of mass incarceration on children and families is of societal importance.