Relationship Education for Incarcerated Adults

Abstract

As relationship education (RE) programs become more widely implemented, it is important to measure and document the changes associated with RE for diverse audiences. Also, researchers have been challenged to examine the impact of RE with more disadvantaged groups. While we are seeing an increase in this area, only three studies have examined RE with an incarcerated sample. These previous studies examined only those currently in a relationship and focused primarily on couple functioning. The aim of this study was to expand the existing literature by examining RE with a broader sample of incarcerated adults, regardless of current relationship status, and to expand our understanding of its association with outcomes beyond the couple domain by also including measures of individual and parental functioning. In addition, we examined whether change from pre‐ to posttest was moderated by individual characteristics. Using a sample of incarcerated adults (N = 122), the study found positive change in three domains of functioning (couple, individual, and parental). Specifically, results indicated change on five of the eight outcome variables examined. Overall, we found both similarities and differences among program participants on changes from pre‐ to posttest. For the majority of outcomes, the positive change from pre‐ to posttest emerged regardless of individual characteristics.

Romantic attachment, childhood stability, depression, and PTSD in couples with an incarcerated partner

“…Justice‐involved individuals who receive couples and family therapy benefit from improved relationships and better re‐entry post incarceration [83]. Furthermore, relationship education in couples therapy can not only benefit the couple but the individual and family as well [84]. Therapy should foster romantic attachment within the dyad with a focus on trust‐building and communication.…”

Together We Can: Increase Couple Functioning for Low-SES Families

“…Relationship and parent education programs have the potential to increase parenting self-efficacy, communication skills, listening skills, anger management, and reduce parental stress (Harcourt et al, 2015). For low-SES parents, CREs have also been shown to reduce negative parenting behaviors that are associated with at-risk populations (e.g., corporal punishment, oppression of children, and lack of empathy; Baucom et al, 2018; Clark et al, 2013).…”

“…Therefore, it is essential that parents learn what positive parenting behaviors are and how to use them. Parent education programs can help foster positive parenting behaviors and increase parent’s self-efficacy, leading to confidence in child-rearing situations (Harcourt et al, 2015). Although helpful, many programs do not encompass the needs of families who are low-SES, minorities, unmarried, or have children older than five; many also do not include aspects of CRE between the parents (Adler-Baeder et al, 2013; Bulling et al, 2020).…”

Couple and relationship education.

“…As discussed previously, since those reviews were published, there have been important initiatives to enhance the accessibility of RE to more diverse groups and many of these programs have been evaluated. For example, there have been large-scale trials of RE with low-income and minority couples (e.g., Lundquist et al, 2014;Wood et al, 2014); development of RE for incarcerated adults (Einhorn et al, 2008;Harcourt, Adler-Baeder, Rauer, Pettit, & Erath, 2015); extension of RE to same sex couples (e.g., Pepping & Halford, 2014;Whitton, 2015); and development of RE for individuals, including those who currently are single but would like to get into a relationship, individuals who are in prison (Einhorn et al, 2008), individuals who may or may not be in a relationship but desire information and skills to have a healthy relationship or to exit an unhealthy one (Bradford, Stewart, Pfister, & Higginbotham, 2016;, and individuals in a relationship and whose partner does not attend the RE (Wadsworth & Markman, 2012).…”