Incarceration & the Family: Issues, Effects & Approaches to Successful Re-Entry

This book provides an overview of the current research that addresses issues concerning incarcerated men, their partner and parenting relationships, and the policies and programs that may assist them in their rehabilitation in prison and after release. The number of individuals involved in the criminal justice system is at a historic high. More stringent sentencing standards for felons, harsher laws on drug-related activity, and more aggressive prosecution practices have combined to bring an unprecedented number of Americans under correctional supervision. Over the last 25 years, the number of incarcerated persons has increased four-fold. Most individuals leave behind intimate partners and children when they go to prison, and this separation can have negative repercussions on family life. Examined in this book are the social policies that address the intersection of incarceration and family life that have emerged at the federal, state, and local levels.