NCJ Number: 189789
Title: Incarcerated Men and Their Children: Study Report
Author: G. Mendez

Corporate Author: National Trust for the Development of African-American Men
6811 Kenilworth Avenue, Suite 501
Riverdale, MD 20737-1333

Sponsor: National Institute of Justice US Dept of Justice
810 Seventh Street NW
Washington, DC 20531

Sale: National Institute of Justice/NCJRS
Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849

Paper Reproduction Sales National Institute of Justice/NCJRS
Box 6000 Department F
Rockville, MD 20849

Date Published: 2000
Page Count: 70
Country of Origin: United States
Language: English
Grant Number: 97-IJ-CX-0036

Annotation: This study examined the attitudes and perceptions of incarcerated men towards child care and raising children.

Abstract: The study used surveys to attempt to determine the attitudes of incarcerated men towards responsible fatherhood and parenting with the intent of moving towards building stronger communities and reducing the flow of individuals into the corrections system. The study proceeded from the following hypotheses: incarcerated fathers are interested in their children and families; incarcerated fathers would like to assist in child rearing; and incarcerated fathers would participate in a program to help understand how to assist in rearing children. Confounding factors with the potential to refine the inquiries in the study were race, marital status, education level, length of incarceration, and age. Participants in the survey were 838 volunteers from the inmate populations of three New York State prisons. The survey instruments were the National Trust/Resurrection Study Group Questionnaire, Questionnaire on Family and Parental Experience, and Questionnaire of Parental Attitudes. The study found that: (1) incarcerated fathers were interested in their children and families; (2) incarcerated fathers would like to assist in child rearing; (3) incarcerated fathers would participate in a program to help understand how to assist in raising children; and (4) the attitudes of the incarcerated men concerning warmth, discipline, encouragement, and aggressive behavior were similar to those that would be expected of individuals in the general society. Notes, figures, tables, appendixes, references

Thesaurus Term: Corrections/ ; Surveys/ ; Questionnaires ; Inmate attitudes ; Children of inmates ; Family support ; Inmates families ; Corrections decisionmaking ; Parental attitudes ; NIJ final report