TY - JOUR
T1 - Kept in the Dark
T2 - Exploring Children’s Preparation for Parental Incarceration and Reentry
AU - Young, Diane S.
AU - Smith, Carrie Jefferson
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to acknowledge the contributions of the young people who shared their experiences with us. Without them this work would not have been possible. Financial support was provided by the University of Washington–Tacoma Social Work and Criminal Justice Program and the Syracuse University School of Social Work.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Background: Parental incarceration is a challenging and pivotal experience for families. Efforts to prepare children can hinder or promote children’s abilities to adapt. Objective: This study addresses the research question: How informed and prepared are children for parental incarceration, family reentry, and re-incarceration? Methods: Fourteen young adults shared their experiences related to childhood parental incarceration and family reentry through individual interviews. Findings: Regardlessof the parent’s stage of criminal justice involvement – arrest,incarceration, reentry, or re-incarceration, participants reported receiving very little information about what was taking place, why, or what they could expect. Conclusions: Small efforts to prepare and inform children were perceived to be helpfulas children. Resources and brief interventions that mitigate this experience of being kept in the dark are described.
AB - Background: Parental incarceration is a challenging and pivotal experience for families. Efforts to prepare children can hinder or promote children’s abilities to adapt. Objective: This study addresses the research question: How informed and prepared are children for parental incarceration, family reentry, and re-incarceration? Methods: Fourteen young adults shared their experiences related to childhood parental incarceration and family reentry through individual interviews. Findings: Regardlessof the parent’s stage of criminal justice involvement – arrest,incarceration, reentry, or re-incarceration, participants reported receiving very little information about what was taking place, why, or what they could expect. Conclusions: Small efforts to prepare and inform children were perceived to be helpfulas children. Resources and brief interventions that mitigate this experience of being kept in the dark are described.
KW - children of incarcerated parents
KW - families and incarceration
KW - parental incarceration
KW - reentry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110472020&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85110472020&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1891/2474-8684.2.2.191
DO - 10.1891/2474-8684.2.2.191
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85110472020
SN - 2474-8684
VL - 2
SP - 191
EP - 208
JO - Urban Social Work
JF - Urban Social Work
IS - 2
ER -