The Impact of Parenting Classes on Incarcerated Mothers

Authors

Kimberly D. Phillips Dr., Northeastern State UniversityFollow
Kyong-Ah Kwon, University of OklahomaFollow

Keywords

Incarceration, parenting class, mothers

Abstract

With growing public attention to the problem of mass incarceration, many individuals want to know about the vast rise in women’s incarceration rate; particularly concerning, the increase of mothers in prison. For many mothers, the only source of hope and motivation they have while involved in the criminal justice system is the connection with their children. This article demonstrates that educational programs focusing on parenting can help incarcerated mothers renew their parental role upon release from prison. The target audience for this article includes, but is not limited to, correctional facility administrators, family counselors, educators, and anyone with an interest in parenting after prison. This article can also serve as a platform to advocate for quality parenting classes for incarcerated mothers.

Author Bio

Dr. Kimberly Phillips is an Assistant Professor and Program Chair of Early Childhood Education at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and has spent the last five years working with incarcerated mothers.

Dr. Kyong-Ah Kwon is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25771/44dc-es08

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Armstrong, E., Eggins, E., Reid, N., Harnett, P., & Dawe, S. (2017). Parenting interventions for incarcerated parents to improve parenting knowledge and skills, parent well-being, and quality of the parent–child relationship: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 14(3), 279-317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-017-9290-6

Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2016). A shared sentence: The devastating toll of parental incarceration on kids, families, and communities. Baltimore, MD.

Aiello, B. L., & McQueeney, K. (2016). How can you live without your kids?: Distancing from and embracing the stigma of “incarcerated mother”. Journal of Prison Education and Reentry, 3(1), 32-49.

Annie E. Casey Foundation. (1999). Partnerships between corrections and child welfare. Baltimore, MD. The Women’s Prison Association & Home, Inc.

Barkley, R. A. (1997). Defiant children: A clinician’s manual for assessment and parent training (Vol. 3). New York: The Guildford Press.

Barlow, Jane, & Coren, E. (2018). The effectiveness of parenting programs: A review of campbell reviews. Research on Social Work Practice, 28 (99–102). https://doi. org/10.1177/1049731517 725184.

Bell, L. G., & Cornwell, C. S. (2015). Evaluation of a family wellness course for persons in prison. Journal of Correctional Education, 66(1), 45-57. ISSN:07402708

Bloom, B. (2000). Beyond recidivism: Perspectives on evaluation of programs for female offenders in community corrections. In McMahon, M. (Ed.), Assessment to assistance: Programs for women in community corrections (pp.107-138). Lanham, MD: American Correctional Association.

Bloom, B., Owen, B., Covington, S. (2004). Women offenders and the gendered effects of public policy. Review of Policy Research, 21, 31-48.

Blumstein, A., & Beck, A. (1999). Population growth in the U.S. prisons, 1980-1996. Crime and Justice, 26, (17-61).

Bozick, R., Steele, J., Davis, L. et al. (2018). Does providing inmates with education improve post release outcomes? A meta-analysis of correctional education programs in the United States. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 14, 389–428. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11292-018-9334-6

Bronson, J. (2018). Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)- Justice expenditure and employment extracts.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009). Parent training programs: Insight for practitioners. Atlanta: GA.

Coll, G., Surrey, J., Buccio-Notaro, P. & MoUa, B. (1998). Incarcerated mothers: Crimes and punishments. In C. Garcia Coll, J. Surrey, & K. Weingarten, (Eds.) Mothering against the odds: Diverse voices of contemporary mothers (255-274). New York: Guilford.

Collica-Cox, K. (2018). Parenting, prison and pups with a purpose: How dog-assisted therapy can improve inmates as mothers. Corrections Today. 80(3), 24-32.

Collica-Cox, K., & Furst, G. (2019). Parenting from a county jail: Parenting from beyond the bars. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 40(7), 593-604. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840 .2019.1565877

Covington, S. (2002). Women in prison: Approaches in the treatment of our most invisible population. Women and Therapy 21, (1), 141–55.

Covington, S., Bloom, B. (2006). Gender responsive treatment and services in correctional settings. Women and Therapy, 29, 9-33.

Davis, Steele, Bozick, et.al. (2014). How effective is correctional education, and where do we go from here? The results of a comprehensive evaluation.

Dodge, M., Pogrebin, M. R. (2001). Collateral costs of imprisonment for women: Complications of reintegration. Prison Journal, 18, 42-54.

Department of Education. (2016). Partnerships between postsecondary and penal institutions allow incarcerated individuals to access Pell grants for correctional education. Press release. Washington, DC.

Durose, M., Cooper, A., Snyder, H. (2014). Recidivism of prisoners released in 30 states i n 2005: Patterns from 2005 to 2010. US Department of Justice.

Easterling, B. (2012). Parenting behind bars: a qualitative study of incarcerated mothers. Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Ghirardelli, P. (2000). Educational theory: Herbart, Dewey, Freire and postmodernists. The Encyclopedia of Educational Philosophy and Theory.

Garcia, J. (2016). Understanding the lives of mothers after incarceration: Moving beyond socially constructed definitions of motherhood. Sociology Compass 10 (3-11).

Hairston, C. (2003). Prisoners and their families: Parenting issues during incarceration. Urban Institute Press, (260-282).

Herrera, A. (2017). Why Oklahoma has the highest female incarceration rate in the country. Conflict & Justice. Reveal Broadcasting.

Huebner, B. (2010). Women coming home: long term patterns of recidivism. Justice Quarterly. 27, 225-254.

Huebner, C. (2009). Community-based support for preschool readiness among children in poverty. The Journal of Education for Students Places at Risk. 5, 291-314.

Kaistura, A. (2019). Women’s mass incarceration: the whole pie 2019. Prison Policy.

Kabel, D. & Cowhig M. (2018) Correctional Populations in the United States. U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Kids Count. (2016). Data snapshot on high poverty areas. The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Baltimore, MD.

Larson, B. (2018). Supporting kids of incarcerated parents. University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Loper, A. B., & Tuerk, E. H. (2011). Improving the emotional adjustment and communication patterns of incarcerated mothers: Effectiveness of a prison parenting intervention. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 20, 89–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-010-9381-8

Mapson, A. (2013). From prison to parenting. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. 23, 171-177.

McGowen, M., & Ladd, L. (2006). Online assessment of grandmother experience in raising grandchildren. Educational Gerontology, 32, 669-684.

Mosley, E. (2018). Incarcerated - Children of parents in prison impacted. Defender Network.

Mumola, C. (2000). Incarcerated parents and their children. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

National Kids Count. (2016). Kids count data center. Annie E. Casey Foundation. Baltimore, MD.

O’Brien, P. (2001). Making it in the “free world”: Women in transition from prison. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Oklahoma Department of Corrections. (2014). Annual report. Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

Poehlmann, J. Shlafer, R., Maes, E., & Hanneman. (2008). Children’s contact with their incarcerated parents: Research findings and recommendations. American Psychologist, 65(6), 575-598.

Pollock, J. M. (2002). Parenting programs in women’s prisons. Women & Criminal Justice, 14, 131-154.

Richie, B. (2001). Challenges incarcerated women face as they return to their communities: Findings from life history interviews. Crime & Delinquency, 47, 368-389.

Sharp, E. B. (1994). The dilemma of drug policy in the United States. New York,NY: Harper Collins College Publishers.

Sharp, S., & Marcus-Mendoza, S. (2001). It’s a family affair: The effects of incarceration on women and their families. Women and Criminal Justice, 12 (4), 21-49.

Sharp, S. F. (2003). Mothers in prison: Issues in parent-child contact. In Sharp, S. F. (Ed.), The incarcerated woman: Rehabilitative programming in women’s prisons (pp. 151-166). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Sharp. S. (2014). Mean lives, mean laws: Oklahoma’s women prisoners. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick, New York, and London.

Schram, P. J. (2003). Stereotypes and vocational programming for women prisoners. In Sharp, S. F. (Ed.), The incarcerated woman: Rehabilitative programming in women’s prisons, (pp.17-28). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Serketich W.J., Dumas J.E. (2006). The effectiveness of behavioral parent training to modify antisocial behavior in children: a meta-analysis. Behavior Therapy, 27, 71-86.

Sime, D., & Sheridan, M. (2014). You want the best for your kids’: improving educational outcomes for children living in poverty through parental engagement. Educational Research, 56, (3), 327-342.

Wakefield, S., & Wildeman, C. (2018). How parental incarceration harms children and what to do about it. National Council on Family Relations Policy Brief, 3, (1).

Wildeman, C., Goldman, A., Turney, K. (2018). Parental incarceration and child health in the United States. Epidemiologic Reviews, 40, 146-156.

First Page

230

Last Page

245