Prospective Childbearing Goals, Intentions, and Attitudes Among Formerly Incarcerated Young Men in the United States

• In Event: Restorative Justice and the Complex Realities of Coming Home

Abstract

The US incarcerates more people than any other country, with nearly 90% of those incarcerated being men. Still, we know little about the childbearing goals, attitudes, and intentions of formerly incarcerated young men, despite evidence that men's reproductive desires and attitudes significantly impact family stability, father engagement, and child health. The current study investigated the childbearing goals and intentions of formerly incarcerated young men aged 15 to 29 years who have yet to father children using nationally representative data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), 2011-2019. Findings reveal statistically significant differences by incarceration history for multiple outcomes: number of intended children, the amount of time to intended childbearing, and feelings about a future pregnancy. For instance, a higher proportion of recently incarcerated young men intend to have children sooner and would have a positive reaction about a future pregnancy relative to those without incarceration history. Findings may intimate that, for formerly incarcerated young men, childbearing may offer a fresh start, or new sense of purpose and source of fulfilment. Reentry programming should offer education and care that supports family planning goals and behaviors, while also helping them to meet foundational reentry needs (e.g., employment, housing, social support).

Authors

• Dylan B. Jackson, Johns Hopkins University

• Krista P. Woodward, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• Alex Testa, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

• Rebecca Shlafer, University of Minnesota

• Arik V. Marcell, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine / Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• Alison Gemmill, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health