The Impact of Youth Imprisonment on the Lives of Parents

Families play a crucial role in supporting prisoners during and beyond their time in prison, but often overlook the experiences of parents themselves. This book focuses on parents whose adolescent male children are sent to prison, charting the adversities they face and assessing the heterogeneous impacts on relationships between parents and their children. It sheds new light on the problems of youth crime and the effects of imprisonment on parents and is an accessible and compelling read for students and scholars of criminology, youth justice, sociology, and all those interested in the role of families in supporting prisoners.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 29 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

It is widely acknowledged that families play a vital role in supporting prisoners during their incarceration and beyond. By providing material and emotional support, families can help prisoners develop a stronger commitment to pursuing prosocial pathways. However, the experiences of families themselves in supporting prisoners are often overlooked. This book specifically focuses on parents whose adolescent male children are sent to prison. It explores the various adversities that parents face, including violence, psychological stress, stigma, and shame. Through empirical assessments, the book provides one of the first comprehensive examinations of how parents manage the consequences of serious crime and navigate their relationships with their children in prison.

In addition to documenting the significant social hardships of imprisonment, the book also assesses the diverse impacts on relationships between parents and their male children. It examines cases where relationships may improve or worsen over the course of the sentence. With a sensitivity to issues of gender, ethnicity, and inequality within families, the book sheds new light on the problems of youth crime and offers a timely insight into the effects of imprisonment on parents.

This book is written in an accessible and compelling style, making it suitable for students and scholars of criminology, youth justice, sociology, and anyone interested in the role of families in supporting prisoners. It provides valuable insights into the complexities of family dynamics and the challenges faced by parents in this context.

Weight: 500g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367185848