Incarceration Effects

returns home after being released from incarceration. This is important because in the home, the use of physical punishment is associated with numerous negative outcomes for children (Mustaine, Tewksbury, 2). These negative outcomes can include behavioral problems, impairment of cognitive performance, an increase in use of violence, and an increase in mental health problems both during childhood and adulthood (Mustaine, Tewksbury, 2). The negative consequences for children such as an increase in violence, behavioral problems, and an impairment in cognitive performance are major factors that contribute to later criminal justice involvement. Mustaine and Tewksbury focused on the ways that the incarceration of fathers might lead to the use of
Linking to the study conducted by Nurse, father’s prolonged exposure to harsh prison environments, socializes them to use violence they have learned in prison to resolve problems (Mustaine, Tewksbury, 4). The socialization for fathers who are incarcerated to use violence in order to resolve problems makes it more probable for them to use this violence against their partners and children when they return home from incarceration. In addition, qualitative evidence also suggests that incarceration poisons relationship dynamics which brings me to my next area of focus; the impact that paternal incarceration has on the mothers of their children. In her study, Nurse documents how prolonged paternal absence due to incarceration leads to changes in routines among fathers and mothers alike that damage relationships (4). It is critical to analyze the impact on the mother as well as the children because the mothers are the primary caregivers who help their children develop and
This initial physical separation due to incarceration introduces a host of distinctive stressors that not only can contribute to damaging the well-being of the mother but also damaging the relationship quality (Wildeman, Schnittker, Turney, 4). The incarceration of a partner causes particularly high distress and loneliness among inmates' wives or partners which can consequentially cause mental health problems among the wives or partners (Wildeman, Schnittker, Turney, 4). This partly is due to mothers increased struggle with managing their households in the father’s absence. Reports show that nearly 70% of fathers in prison contributed financially to their children and families prior to incarceration (Wildeman, Schnittker, Turney, 5). Once these fathers go to prison, the level of support that fathers can provide drops quickly resulting in fewer economic resources that negatively impact co-parents and children’s mental health (Wildeman, Schnittker, Turney, 4). Due to a partner’s incarceration, mothers experience a host of hardships both during and after their partner’s incarceration which helps explain the link between paternal incarceration and depression and life dissatisfaction among the mothers (Wildeman, Schnittker, Turney,