Correlates of a Positive Parenting Experience in Prison

Abstract

The two goals of this study were: (1) to explore the relationship of a parent’s experience in prison in combination with a range of characteristics relating to the parent in prison, to the children, and to the caregiver, and (2) to explore the role of sex and nationality in this relationship. A total of 202 parents in prison (99 men and 103 women; 106 Spanish and 96 foreigners) participated in this study. To maximize the understanding of the questions, in-person interviews were conducted to collect answers to the questionnaire. The findings particularly highlight the importance of the role of the primary caregiver in ensuring that the parent in prison has a positive parenting experience during incarceration. More specifically, the parent in prison reports a better parenting experience when they perceive the primary caregiver as a link between themselves and their children in a positive way. This finding points to the importance of intervention and research on this relationship in order to enhance parental satisfaction and the relationship between the imprisoned parent and their children, as well as the family’s resilience during parental imprisonment.

Parental Incarceration, Development, and Well-Being: A Developmental Systematic Review

“…Moreover, it has been observed that the caregiver’s health, as well as the relationship between the caregiver and the child, is crucial in the impact on the well-being and development of the child, especially in middle childhood and adolescence. For this reason, programs should not only be oriented towards working with minors but also with the caregiver figure, focusing on enhancing their well-being and creating a good relationship between the caregiver and the minor [ 88 ]. In this sense, an appropriate intervention could be systemic family therapy, since much importance is given to the minor’s interpersonal relationships with different agents who influence their development (mainly the primary caregiver and the parent in prison).…”