“Who Are You Really Punishing?”: Mothers’ Experiences With an Incarcerated Son

Abstract

The consequences of incarceration are not solely reserved for the individual incarcerated, rather the impacts of incarceration have been shown to extend to the entire family system. The parent-child relationship is multifaceted and necessitates empirical evidence that significantly honors the voices that are at the center of experience but typically silenced by the stigma and prejudice nature of incarceration. Via a phenomenological approach, mothers of incarcerated adult sons were interviewed. Five themes emerged from eight interviews: emotional impact, barriers and challenges for families, mental health services, systemic issues, and advocacy and support. Our findings inform clinical implications for mental health professionals working with the incarcerated population. We provided recommendations on how to best advocate for this population through research, clinical work, and policy.

Unpacking support: A strengths-based investigation into the needs of incarcerated individuals’ loved ones

“…Other studies identify needs for emotional and psychological support through friends, family, school counselors, and support groups (Comfort et al, 2016;Turney, 2019). Social support from other LOIs in the community who can commiserate and share ideas, insights, and resources is a particularly salient need identified across several studies (Comfort et al, 2016;Tadros et al, 2023aTadros et al, , 2023bTuranovic et al, 2012).…”

Trajectories of incarcerated coparenting: Examining differences across race and ethnicity

“…Few studies focus on the effects paternal incarceration has on both coparenting and romantic relationships. Further, there is sufficient evidence that suggests incarcerated parents and partners continue to be adversely affected by challenges with intimacy, finances, and family stress (Tadros, 2021; Tadros et al, 2023). There continues to be a need for further research that provides the tools to navigate the incarcerated experience for both partners, both pre‐ and post‐release.…”