incarceration

Studies Document Mass Incarceration’s Toll on Families

New studies add to the growing body of research on the toll U.S. mass incarceration is taking on prisoner’s children and families. Three recent articles in the journal Demography document the spillover effects of the prison boom on family poverty, couples’ relationship stability, and child well-being.

Children of Incarcerated Parents

The United States has more than 2 million people behind bars, and 45 percent were living with their children before they were imprisoned. U.S. children of incarcerated parents are an…

U.S. children of incarcerated parents are an extremely vulnerable group, and much more likely to have behavioral problems and physical and mental health conditions than their peers, reports Kristin Turney,…