A Labor of Love: Exploring the Role of Incarceration in the Life Course of the Family

• In Event: Navigating Reentry

Abstract

Objective: This research examines whether incarceration acts as a turning point in the life course of the family and how
family roles (responsibilities) are impacted. It also examines the labor (instrumental and
emotional) required to maintain the family system during a loved one’s incarceration, and the
resources people draw on to help them.
Data/Methods: Utilizing grounded methods, the current study draws on 10 focus groups and 30
interviews from 10 theoretically unique families (a focus group conducted with each family,
then 3 semi-structured interviews with each individual family member) of incarcerated people
from Philadelphia. Transcripts were coded in Atlas.ti to explore whether a family member’s
incarceration was a turning point in the life course of the family, and the day-to-day labor
necessary to manage that incarceration.
Results: The experience of familial incarceration varied based on the family member that
experienced incarceration and the level of day-to-day support they had from other family,
friends, and the community. All families experienced new “labor” (instrumental and emotional)
due to their family members incarceration, and for some, reentry.
Conclusion: These findings shed new light on the impact of familial incarceration on the life
course of the family and highlight important areas for policy intervention.

Author

• Jesse Brey, Temple University