Incarcerated Men and Their Children: Study Report

• NCJ Number: 189789
• Author(s): Garry Mendez
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 70 pages
• Grant Number(s): 97-IJ-CX-0036
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This study examined the attitudes and perceptions of incarcerated men towards child care and raising children.

Abstract

The study used surveys to attempt to determine the attitudes of incarcerated men towards responsible fatherhood and parenting with the intent of moving towards building stronger communities and reducing the flow of individuals into the corrections system. The study proceeded from the following hypotheses: incarcerated fathers are interested in their children and families; incarcerated fathers would like to assist in child rearing; and incarcerated fathers would participate in a program to help understand how to assist in rearing children. Confounding factors with the potential to refine the inquiries in the study were race, marital status, education level, length of incarceration, and age. Participants in the survey were 838 volunteers from the inmate populations of three New York State prisons. The survey instruments were the National Trust/Resurrection Study Group Questionnaire, Questionnaire on Family and Parental Experience, and Questionnaire of Parental Attitudes. The study found that: (1) incarcerated fathers were interested in their children and families; (2) incarcerated fathers would like to assist in child rearing; (3) incarcerated fathers would participate in a program to help understand how to assist in raising children; and (4) the attitudes of the incarcerated men concerning warmth, discipline, encouragement, and aggressive behavior were similar to those that would be expected of individuals in the general society. Notes, figures, tables, appendixes, references