NCJ Number
238870
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Dated: May/June 2012 Pages: 221-229
Date Published
June 2012
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Using qualitative and quantitative data obtained from 120 incarcerated mothers in a Federal prison, this study drew on the tenets of General Strain Theory (GST) in examining associations between life-course stress models and maternal health, as well as the intergenerational effects of maternal strains for their children's development.
Abstract
The main tenet of GST is that adverse emotions that stem from various "strains" can result in maladaptive behaviors (including crime) that attempt to relieve or eliminate the adverse emotions. This study found that the strain of deprivation that results from a lack of contact with an inmate mother's minor child is positively associated with her mental and physical health problems as well as her children's sense of growing up faster than their peers ("subjective weathering"). The strains that the mothers brought to their prison experience from their own childhood traumas also increased their mental health problems and their subjective sense of being older than their chronological age. Thus, the deprivation strains of imprisonment (separation from their children and bringing the effects of their own childhood traumas into their prison experience) were linked to the mother's physical and mental health and their children's sense of being denied the developmental experiences of their peers. The author argues that reducing the strains mothers typically face while imprisoned may benefit both inmates and their families. Suggestions are offered for future research in this area. All women in the sample had at least one child under the age of 18. The racially and ethnically diverse sample consisted of Hispanic, African-American, and White women, as well as other racial and ethnic groups. 2 tables and 85 references