Incarcerated during a Pandemic: COVID-19 and its Implications for Families and Children with Jailed Parents

• In Event: Poster Session 05
  In Poster Session: PS 05 Topic - Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Abstract

When the novel coronavirus hit the United States in early 2020, jails and prisons became hotspots for the virus. Because jails (locally operated facilities that serve as the entrypoint of individuals awaiting sentencing or those serving sentences for one-year or less) see nearly 11 million admissions annually, spread of the virus from the outside community to jail residents has been of high concern. Additionally, once inside the correctional facility, social distancing and recommended hygiene practices are challenging to enforce, enabling the virus to spread quickly through facilities. With correctional facilities forced to balance community safety with the health and well-being of incarcerated individuals, a number of swift changes took place, such as releasing individuals charged with low level offenses, cancelling institutional programming, and halting in-person visits. However, recognizing that more than 65% of those incarcerated in jails are parents, the systemic changes have important implications for children and families, the consequences of which remain unknown. To begin studying these changes to children’s lives, family relationships, and gather recommendations for criminal justice policy and practice, we surveyed 33 incarcerated adults in a mid-sized county jail in a Midwestern city, which had reduced their daily population size by approximately 40% at the height of the pandemic, about their experiences during the pandemic. Surveys were made available by the jail program coordinator and were mailed back to the study team with prepaid postage. Incarcerated individuals were mostly male (average age = 39.43 years, SD=10.3), with approximately one-third identifying as Black and another one-third White. Most respondents self-reported being in good health, all were tested for COVID-19 while incarcerated, and 6% tested positive for the virus. Eighteen individuals were parents to 51 minor children, though all participants wrote about navigating family relationships while incarcerated during a pandemic. Results indicated a number of changes to the daily lives of children, as reported by the incarcerated parents, including decreased contact with family members due to suspension of in-person visits. In terms of family relationships, participants described expensive video visits as replacing free in-person visits, increased concerns about finances and employment, and increased stress for the family as being barriers to maintaining, building, and enhancing bonds with loved ones. A number of recommendations for policy and practice will be discussed, including recommendations to enhance family relationships and support children’s education during this unprecedented time.

Authors

• Luke Muentner, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Presenting Author

• Sarah Jensen, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Chloe Haimson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Chiara Packard, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Pajarita Charles, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• John Eason, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Julie A. Poehlmann-Tynan, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author