Incarcerated Fathers:
Extending their Parenting Knowledge to the Outside
Karen DeBord, Ph.D.
State Specialist, Child Development
North Carolina State University Cooperative
Extension
Purposeful Parenting: A Manual for Extension Educators working with Incarcerated Parents
Estimates suggest that approximately three-quarters of federal inmates in the United States are fathers. However, most of the research in the areas of incarceration and family relationships focus on mothers and the problems they confront as parents in prison. Further, studies that examine characteristics of incarcerated men typically focus on the offender's relationship with his family as a unit and how this affects his rehabilitation. Fatherhood is rising as an area of focus for incarcerated and non-incarcerated families.
There are multiple and complex issues of concern to incarcerated fathers. First they are concerned about maintaining their legal parenting rights while incarcerated. Additionally, they feel a sense of dependency on friends and family outside prison for economic support of their families on the outside including transportation for visits. Fathers are worried about their relationship with their children and the very difficult task of explaining incarceration them. They are concerned about the negative visiting conditions for children and the dilemmas faced with their child's care givers on the outside (Lanier, 1995). Likewise, children are also often deceived about incarceration. Some children are never told that their father is, or has been, in prison. Such deception has been viewed as harmful to children and may be the root of children's behavioral difficulties (Gabel, 1995).
Emotionally, incarcerated fathers may become depressed, anxious and lose self-esteem, feel powerless and sad. Many feel guilty and often feel responsible for the problems their children experience at home. There is compounded concern that someone else will replace them in the parental role and that children will forget them. Then near the time of release, fathers worry that they won't fit into the home life once they are released since the outside care giver and the children have been operating independently without him (Lanier, 1995).
Several major themes have emerged from research regarding the impact of parental incarceration on children. First, separation from a parent is likely to be traumatic, disrupt personal and family bonds, and worsen the family's social and financial situation. Behavioral problems also tend to emerge in some children, with problems usually relating to family supports and coping mechanisms. Most children do not commit severe antisocial behavior at the time of their parent's incarceration, although boys in their early teens may be at greater risk of conduct problems. This type of behavior appears more likely to emerge in existing dysfunctional family situations (Gabel, 1995).
Various caretakers care for children of incarcerated parents,
however there is some difference between incarcerated fathers and mothers
in that the children of incarcerated fathers typically continue to be
cared for by their mother, but the children of incarcerated mothers are
rarely cared for by their father (Gabel, 1995).
Many prison systems are seeking to establish parenting education programs in an effort to support children while building relationships between children and their incarcerated fathers. Educational programs for fathers generally are offered in a series with information about personal esteem joined with information about children's development and how to maintain communication with children.
Other programs have been designed using typical characteristics of offender parents that have been found to hinder their ability to relate well with their families. Eight characteristics were defined by Ross and Fabiano (1985) and include: impulsiveness; putting the blame for their actions on other people and believing that their life is beyond their control; lack of concrete reasoning; rigidity and intolerance; shortage of interpersonal problem-solving skills; egocentricity; underdeveloped values; and critical reasoning problems. These characteristics can contribute to the emergence of other parenting problems such as poor communication, inconsistency, inappropriate or ineffective discipline, and the failure to apply problem-solving skills in family interaction or teach such skills to children.
The Need
Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Education staff are
delivering educational programs for incarcerated fathers in North Carolina.
A particular need of these educators was to determine a way to reinforce
learning in the father while assuring that the child care caregiver on
the outside had the opportunity to hear and learn the same message.
An Inclusive Educational Design for Incarcerated Fathers
Learners who are part of a voluntary and willing audience will
more likely open their minds to concepts and ideas that are taught. Designing
a program based on voiced needs of the clientele is critical. Prior to
meeting with the potential group of fathers, identify representatives from
with the potential attendees who will meet in a focus group setting and
share their stories and needs. By taking into consideration the needs of
the audience, the remaining attendees will understand that the educator
has their needs in mind and will be more open and willing learners.
A format for conducting such focus group assessment is included
in Appendix A.
One Response
Based on assessed needs at four men's prisons in North Carolina,
a series of activity sheets were designed for fathers who were enrolled
in parenting classes. A parallel set of activity sheets was designed as
an activity to do with the child either by mail or when the father was
with the child, and a third set was written to extend what was learned
by the father to the caregiver on the outside.
In an attempt to design a linkage message, homework sheets were designed
to supplement face-to-face teaching. In designing these, several principles
were considered. It was determined that these should:
- focus on positive solutions-based strategies
- focus on personal responsibility for own actions
- provide a bridge with the child and outside caregiver using
these worksheets as a bridge to communication.
- provide a worksheet design that is easily incorporated into
individualized curriculum designed for inmates based on their voiced needs.
There are eight homework sheets and can be used to supplement in-class teaching and learning. Each one is a Homework sheet for parent inside, Homework for parent outside, an activity with child.
The titles are:
Child Development (0-5)
Child Development (6-12)
Teen development
School work and chores
Talking with children
Children and school
Anger in children
Discipline and Limits
Citation for this article:
DeBord, K. (2002). Incarcerated Fathers: Reaching Outside. North Carolina
Cooperative Extension unpublished publication. Raleigh, NC. Online <http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/smp9/dadhomework.pdf >.
Gabel, Stewart (1995). Forum of Corrections Research. Behavioural problems in the children of incarcerated parents. Volume 7 (2). http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/pblct/forum/e072/e072ind.shtml
Glick, R.M. and Neto, V. V. (1977). National Study of Women's Correctional Programs. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice.
Lanier, C. S. (1995). Forum of Corrections Research. Incarcerated father: A research agenda. Volume 7 (2). http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/pblct/forum/e072/e072k.shtml
Ross, R.R. and Fabiano, E. (1985). Time To Think: A Cognitive Model of Delinquency Prevention and Offender Rehabilitation. Johnson City, Tennessee: Institute of Social Sciences and Arts Inc.
