According to a 1984 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, most offenders are not married but more than half have children. Children of both male and female inmates frequently experience significant trauma. For the male child in particular, the best predictor of future incarceration is whether his father was incarcerated. In addition, the male inmate cannot financially provide for his family. Difficulties of female inmates are not as well-documented as those of male inmates, but the imprisonment of mothers is particularly destructive to the family unit. For both male and female inmates, the effectiveness of family service programs to soften the impact of incarceration on children has not been adequately researched. In Pennsylvania, the Department of Corrections began its first family service program in 1973 and now offers its most comprehensive programs at two women's prisons. Program goals are to improve the quality of visits between parents and children, provide creative opportunities for parent-child interaction, and encourage wholesome family interaction in the institutional environment. In general, family service programs serve to "humanize" the prison environment and can be staffed with volunteers who are able to develop relationships with inmates that correctional staff cannot. 14 references