Sibling Placement in the Living Arrangements of Minor Children of Incarcerated Mothers

• In Event: Gender, Family, and the Causes and Collateral Consequences of Mass Incarceration

Abstract

Research has begun to investigate the living arrangements of children of incarcerated mothers and fathers. Adding to research on the living arrangements of children with a mother in prison, this paper examines social structural predictors of whether, in multi-children households, minor children live together or are placed separately. Sibling relationships have been shown in the foster care and adoption literature to offset some of the adversities young children face in these circumstances (Cohn 2008). However, very little is known about sibling care arrangements when mothers are incarcerated. Using recently collected data in 2011 on a voluntary sample of incarcerated women at a federal minimum security prison in the United States (n=211), I analyze survey-based information on mothers with multiple minor children (n=88 women). Multivariate logistic regression results show that more maternal education is predictive of minor children living together net of a range of control variables. Maternal attainment of a Grade 12 education is particularly protective, highlighting a policy relevant protective resource. Qualitative data from survey-based open-ended questions and the voluntary subset of the sample who participated in face-to-face interviews (n=35) are further examined as to the decisions and concerns of incarcerated mothers regarding sibling living arrangements.

Author

• Holly Foster, Texas A&M University