Parent-Child Contact and Distress in Prison

• In Event: Mental Health and Trauma in Corrections

Abstract

While many studies examine factors that influence parent-child communication in prison, few consider how such contact affects parental distress. Using the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates (SPI), this study explores the complex relationship between incarcerated parents and their minor children through the theoretical lenses of Robert Agnew’s general strain theory, Travis Hirschi’s theory of social bonds, and Leonard Pearlin’s stress process model. Employing multinomial logistic regression, the analysis examines how in-person visits, phone calls, mail, and email communication impact parental distress, measured via the psychometrically validated Kessler 6 Nonspecific Psychological Distress Scale. Findings reveal significant variations in distress levels based on the mode of contact, highlighting important differences between maternal and paternal experiences. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of the psychological toll incarceration has on parents and underscore the need for correctional policies that support meaningful, low-stress parent-child communication. By identifying processes that ease parental distress, this research points to potential opportunities for reducing recidivism through strengthened familial bonds.

Author

• Nathaniel Galen, CUNY Graduate Center / John Jay College of Criminal Justice