The Negative Effects Of Maternal Incarceration

Mass incarceration is an epidemic that disproportionately affects the African American community. Since the 1970s the rates of incarcerated citizens has continued to rise, growing by 700 percent from 1970 to 2005. About 2.3 million individuals are incarcerated in the United States, and an additional 4.9 million individuals are on probation or parole, meaning that about 3 percent of adults currently experience some form of correctional supervision (Vallas et. Al., 2015). Within communities of color these numbers drastically increase. According to the Center for American Progress people of color make up 30 percent of the United States’ population but account for 60 percent of those imprisoned. 1 in every 15 African American men and 1 in every 36 Hispanic men are incarcerated in comparison to 1 in every 106 white men. Women are not exempt from these numbers. The number of women incarcerated has increased by 800 percent over the last three decades. While the number of women incarcerated is relatively low, the racial and ethnic disparities are startling. African American women are three times more likely than white women to be incarcerated, while Hispanic women are 69 percent more likely than white women to be incarcerated (Vallas et. Al., 2015). These statistics represent the individual incarcerated but they leave the bigger picture unfinished. Many of the people represented by these numbers are also brothers, sisters, and even parents. Adolescent children in their formidable years are subjected to the imprisonment of their parents while society neglects the impact that it causes. Often times these children are uprooted from their homes and placed in new environments with little to no transition therapy. Some researchers take on the task of gathering quantitative data in an attempt to have a concrete analysis. However, in this case quantitative data fails to present a comprehensive view that depicts the role of incarceration on those left behind. For the incarcerated mother of two now dependent upon family members or the foster care system to provide adequate care for her children, numbers do not show the frustration, anger, or resentment felt by her children. Depending on the child’s placement and the mother’s crime visitation may be few and far between which limits the type of parenting the inmate can offer to the child. As portrayed in the media, the black family unit has many representations. Using current research, both quantitative and qualitative this paper will explore how the crimes and sentencing of a mother, especially within the African American community, impacts the child’s growth and development, socially and psychologically. U.S. Census data from 2010 reveals that more African American families consisted of single-parent mothers than married homes with both parents. Most recently, in 2011 it was reported that 72 percent of black babies were born to unwed mothers. These statics are directly related to the numbers reported earlier on the disproportionate number …show more content…
The negative impact of maternal incarceration for children with a mother who is unlikely to be incarcerated is can be identified as being propelled by three dynamics. The first factor is whether or not the mother is incarcerated in a jail versus in prison. This effects visitation and other factors that in turn impacts the child. Insufficient familial support can have a negative impact on the child. A support system will be beneficial to the child while the mother is incarcerated. Lastly, it matters whether the child was directly harmed by the criminal activity of the mother. If the child experience minimal or no harm they may have less of a negative impact than a child who was directly harmed by the crimes of the mother (Turney & Wilderman, 2014). Depending on the crime committed by the parent the child could feel a sense of abandonment from the parent. If the caregiver is emotionally available for the child then there can be a positive outcome in the situation (Roettger, 2015). The effects of maternal incarceration are minor for children when: the mother is entirely absent from the child’s life prior to incarceration. Due to the mother’s absence and the cause behind it the child would likely experience disadvantages regardless of maternal incarceration. In some cases maternal incarceration has proven to be a positive experience. Maternal incarceration is a positive experience for more than one-fourth of children’s caregivers. These are typically the families where the mother is actively involved in a lifestyle that is hindering the positive development of the child (Turney & Wilderman,