The Impacts of Incarceration on Families
I am beginning a new research area to assess the impacts of incarceration on families. Incarceration impacted those beyond the 2.2 million individuals serving their sentences in prison. Families are also affected through a process called secondary prisonization. Examining such effects is important as a growing number of families in the U.S. are impacted. Recent studies estimate 45% of the U.S. population has had an immediate family member incarcerated.
Currently, I am analyzing interview data collected by Drs. Dana DeHart and Cheri Shaprio (University of South Carolina) with incarcerated persons and their loved ones about their experiences with visitation. Such experiences are largely unknown to the general public.
I also started a new mixed methods study to assess the impacts of having a family member incarcerated during the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Meghan Novisky (Cleveland State University). Below are the initial results.
