NCJ Number
131890
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1991) Pages: 304-317
Date Published
1991
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The impact of incarceration on family life was examined in 63 inmates and 39 wives, half of whom participated in the Family Reunion Program (FRP) initiated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services.
Abstract
Family functioning was assessed though interview data and standardized measures. Inmates and their wives were asked questions about prison life covering means of communication with wife and children and their impact on family relationships, quality of relationships with and perceived closeness to wife and children, relevant childhood experiences, perceptions of the father role, family decisionmaking currently and prior to incarceration, and for FRP participants what occurred during trailer visits and how they felt about the visits. Wives were asked additional questions about living circumstances, children's problems, and source of financial and social support. Following the interviews, the participants responded in writing to two standardized measures: the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale and the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale. The results of the study showed a similarity in both groups regarding family cohesion and lack of adaptability. However, the FRP inmates reported feeling closer to their families than non-FRP inmates. 23 references (Author abstract modified)