Incarcerated Parents in a Local Jail: A Collaborative Investigation

• In Event: How the Justice System Treats People Matters

Abstract

Mass incarceration in the United States is an issue of inequality not just for those who are incarcerated, but the communities, partners, and children of those who are left behind. In collaboration with a local county jail and two community re-entry programs, this study addresses the following: 1) How many of those incarcerated in the facility are parents? and 2) What is staff knowledge and attitudes towards incarcerated parents? To address these questions, we distributed surveys to civilian and correctional staff at the facility to assess attitudes towards incarcerated parents (N=105). Additionally, we provided training to jail staff to enhance data collection accuracy at booking regarding parental status. Preliminary results suggest that nearly one-quarter of individuals booked at the facility over a 6-month period identified as parents. Regarding the second question, survey results suggest that both civilian and correctional staff generally believe that children should have relationships with their incarcerated parents and that incarcerated parents can still be “good parents” despite incarceration status. However, correctional staff are more measured in their support of these beliefs. In this paper, we explore these differences and their potential impact on parents incarcerated in the facility as well as the visiting experiences of children.

Authors

• Laura Napolitano, Rutgers University - Camden

• Jane Siegel, Rutgers University - Camden