Impact of Maternal Incarceration on the Criminal Justice Involvement of Adult Offspring

Abstract

Objectives: This note examines the relationship between maternal incarceration and adverse outcomes for offspring in early adulthood. Methods: Utilizing data derived from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, a series of multivariate models are conducted to examine the impact maternal incarceration has on criminal justice involvement among young adults. To control for selection effects that may be associated with maternal imprisonment, propensity score matching is utilized. Results: Respondents whose mothers had served time in prison were significantly more likely to have an adult arrest, conviction, and incarceration, even after controlling for important demographic factors and correlates of criminal behavior. This effect persisted following matching. Conclusions: Maternal

The impact of maternal incarceration on their daughter's empathy

“…Further, Murray et al (2007) found women with incarcerated parents were more at risk of offending than men. Muftic, Bouffard, and Armstrong (2016) suggest the consequences of parental incarceration may be different based on paternal and maternal incarceration. For instance, Grant (2006) found maternal incarceration was negatively associated with young girls' self-perceptions, while found internalizing symptoms were higher for daughters of incarcerated mothers.…”

The Impact of Maternal Incarceration on Emotional and Behavioral Outcomes: Research Findings from a National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health

“…[16], for example, observed the growth in female incarceration to further understand the long-term consequences of imprisonment on children. Their research utilized data derived from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to examine the impact maternal incarceration has on criminal justice involvement among young adults.…”

“…Their research utilized data derived from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to examine the impact maternal incarceration has on criminal justice involvement among young adults. The key findings demonstrated that maternal incarceration had a statistically significant effect on the children's adult involvement in the criminal justice system, which was measured by arrest, conviction, and incarceration [16]. [10] Examined serious delinquency among youth and the associations between parental incarceration, family functioning, parental health, effective parenting, and youth problems.…”

“…The increase of incarcerated women has negatively affected American families; nearly two-thirds incarcerated women in state prisons in 2007 were mothers [16] [5].While there is a growing body of literature studying the effects of incarceration on children, much of this research has focused solely on either incarceration in general or on paternal incarceration. These studies have revealed that youth whose parents were imprisoned at some time were nearly five times more likely to be incarcerated in adulthood compared to youth separated from parents for other reasons [18].…”

“…Their research utilized data derived from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health to examine the impact maternal incarceration has on criminal justice involvement among young adults. The key findings demonstrated that maternal incarceration had a statistically significant effect on the children's adult involvement in the criminal justice system, which was measured by arrest, conviction, and incarceration [16].[10] Examined serious delinquency among youth and the associations between parental incarceration, family functioning, parental health, effective parenting, and youth problems. Adolescents who experienced parental incarceration during their childhood were more likely to experience family risk in the areas of social advantage, parent health, and effective parenting, as well as having higher levels of problem behavior across adolescence than those adolescents who did not experience parental incarceration.…”