CHILD-CARE NEEDS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS - A COMPARISON OF INCARCERATES AND PROBATIONERS

• NCJ Number: 68382
• Author(s): S ROGERS; C CAREY
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 42 pages
• Corporate Author: Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

SAMPLES OF FEMALE INMATES AND FEMALE PROBATIONERS WERE COMPARED IN THIS CANADIAN STUDY DESIGNED TO DETERMINE WHETHER INCARCERATION OF MOTHERS CREATES CHILDCARE PROBLEMS.

Abstract

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH 132 OF THE 194 FEMALES REPORTED IN THE ONTARIO INSTITUTIONAL AUDIT OF OCTOBER 26, 1978. SIMILAR INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED BY PROBATION OFFICERS WITH 206 RANDOMLY SELECTED FEMALE PROBATIONERS. THE CHILDCARE NEEDS WERE COMPARED BETWEEN THE SAMPLES. THE WOMEN WERE SIMILAR IN AGE, EDUCATION, MARITAL STATUS, AND FAMILY INCOME; ABOUT ONEHALF OF THE SUBJECTS IN BOTH SAMPLES HAD BORNE CHILDREN. TWO-THIRDS OF THE INCARCERATED MOTHERS COMPARED T0 ONE-THIRD OF THE PROBATIONER MOTHERS HAD ONE OR MORE CHILDREN (UNDER AGE 18) WHO WERE NOT IN THEIR CARE PRIOR TO THE CURRENT INCARCERATION. ALTHOUGH SIMILAR PROPORTIONS OF CHILDREN FROM BOTH GROUPS WERE LIVING IN FOSTER HOMES (7.5 PERCENT) OR LIVING WITH THEIR NATURAL FATHERS (ABOUT 10 PERCENT), A MUCH LARGER PROPORTION OF THE CHILDREN HAD EITHER BEEN GIVEN UP FOR ADOPTION OR WERE LIVING WITH RELATIVES ON A PERMANENT BASIS. THE REASON FOR THE GREATER NUMBER OF MOTHER-CHILD SEPARATIONS PRIOR TO INCARCERATION BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS COULD NOT BE ATTRIBUTED SOLELY TO MARITAL OR ECONOMIC INSTABILITY. THE MORE EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL HISTORY OF THE INMATES, COUPLED WITH A POOR EMPLOYEMENT HISTORY WHEN COMPARED WITH THE PROBATIONERS, IS A PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR THE GREATER NUMBER OF MOTHER-CHILD SEPARATIONS AMONG INMATES. ALTHOUGH OVER ONE-HALF OF THE CHILDREN OF INMATES HAD TO CHANGE THEIR RESIDENCE UPON THEIR MOTHERS' INCARCERATION, 84.1 PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN WERE CARED FOR BY FATHERS, OTHER RELATIVES, OR FRIENDS DURING THE MOTHERS' INCARCERATION. ONLY 11.6 PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN WHO HAD BEEN LIVING WITH THEIR MOTHERS WERE PLACED IN FOSTER HOMES. THE DATA INDICATE THAT THE INCARCERATION OF FEMALES CREATES FEW IMMEDIATE CHILD CARE PROBLEMS. THE EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD DURING THE MOTHER'S INCARCERATION IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE REQUIRING RESEARCH BEYOND THIS STUDY. TABULAR DATA AND EIGHT REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)