Intergenerational Offending and Prison Adaptation: Investigating the Impact of Family Incarceration History on Prison Misconduct

• In Event: Implications of Family and Social Support in Prison and Jail

Abstract

Intergenerational offending has been the subject of inquiry among researchers for decades. Research suggests that children of offenders are more likely to end up as offenders themselves. Specifically, children of offenders are more likely to be offenders, be arrested, and be incarcerated compared to children of parents without a criminal record. What remains unclear is the effect parental offending – i.e., history of incarceration – has on the prison experience of their offspring who are incarcerated. Family incarceration history may influence behavior while in prison. Indeed, the few studies that have examined this relationship find that prisoners who have a family incarceration history are more likely to have rule violations. Not accounting for the role of family incarceration history ignores the potential impact of intergenerational offending on prison adaptation. The current study extends this scholarship by investigating the relationship between family incarceration and negative prison outcomes. To investigate this relationship, the current study uses propensity score matching and data from the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (2004) to examine the misconduct and victimization of prisoners with and without a family history of incarceration net of the effects of other covariates. Policy implications will also be discussed.

Authors

• Jane C. Daquin, University of Alabama

• Leah E. Daigle, Georgia State University

• Stephen Clipper, University of Alabama