The Pill Line Is Longer Than the Chow Line: The Impact of Incarceration on Prisoners and Their Families

• NCJ Number: 253183
• Journal: Prison Journal Volume: 98 Issue: 2 Dated: 2018 Pages: 188-212
• Author(s): Dana DeHart; Cheri Shapiro; Stephanie Clone
• Date Published: 2018
• Length: 25 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2012-IJ-CX-0034
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• Publication Series: BJA Bulletins
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Based on focus groups with 38 male and 39 female inmates and interviews with 21 family members, this study identified specific impacts of incarceration on prisoners and their families.

Abstract

Incarceration removes individuals from their families and their communities, increasing the potential for disrupted relationships, community fragmentation, and burden on service systems. The current study's findings include prisoners' and families' perceptions of incarceration's impact on their communication, health, mental health, finances, and involvement with community supports such as friends, church groups, and human services. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed. (publisher abstract modified)