Family Complexity and the Stress Process in Prison: How Sibling Living Arrangements of Minor Children Influence Maternal Role Strains

Abstract

This paper offers a life-course stress process perspective on maternal role strain as a 'pain of imprisonment' by engaging the concept of 'family complexity' in the context of mass incarceration I consider how the living arrangements of minor siblings (i.e., those living apart or together) during maternal incarceration functions as a form of family complexity. When minor children live apart from their siblings, they may experience more isolation which may further serve as a stressor for incarcerated mothers. A positive association between siblings living apart and maternal role strain would support a process of 'stress proliferation' across the prison-family interface. I investigate these connections using survey-based data on mothers with multiple minor children (n = 80) collected in 2011 from a voluntary sample of respondents housed in a federal minimum security prison in the United States. Multivariate logistic regression results indicate that minor siblings living apart during periods of maternal confinement elevates role strain among mothers (odds ratio = 3.66, p < 0.05). This connection is indicative of an 'inter-institutional strain.' Finally, children's age also increases maternal role strain, but this finding is explained by sibling living arrangements during the mother's incarceration.

Psychological wellbeing, family cohesion, and purposeful life in male prisoners: A cross-sectional study

“…Ryff developed this self-report scale in 1989. The short 18-item PWBS with six subscales was used in this study: selfacceptance (2,8,10), autonomy (9,12,18), positive relationships with others (3,11,13), purpose in life (5,14,16), personal growth (7,15,17) and environmental mastery (1,4,6). Ryff confirmed the reliability of the original version of PWBS (0.89) using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, as well as its validity through content validity (28).…”

“…Prisoners are vulnerable to multiple problems, with many restrictions and deprivations in prison adding to these problems ( 11 ). They suffer from poor relationships and social rejection because of the norms and subcultures in prison and separation from the family.…”