Mental Health, Incarcerated Parents, and Interactions with Their Children

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Abstract

Prisons employ pains that are unique to imprisonment, caused by various deprivations inmates face while imprisoned. These pains outweigh the technical goals of prison, being to deter and rehabilitate. Being deprived of family and friends can be deleterious for inmates’ wellbeing, thus focusing on the goal of punishment. The current study draws upon deprivation theory to examine how the risk of current mental health feelings is associated with the deprivation of family, specifically the deprivation of interactions with their child. This study relies on survey data conducted in 2016 with 24,848 incarcerated individuals across the United States. The current study will aim to fill a void in prior research by examining interactions with their children while incarcerated to better understand current feelings of depression and anxiety within the prison environment. This study contributes to the research on the mental health of inmates, deprivation theory and to the broader conversations surrounding the prison environment.

Author

• Windsor Adcox, Louisiana State University