Following an introductory chapter that presents current data on prisoners and their children and families, Part 1 contains three chapters that discuss aspects of the impact of incarceration and reentry on individual prisoners. One chapter examines the psychological impact of imprisonment and how it affects the inmate's functioning after release from prison. Another chapter examines the prison experience from the distinctive perspective of female inmates; and the third chapter provides an overview of recent research on how prison programs improve prisoners' ability to hold jobs, stay sober, and avoid criminal behavior after their release. Part 2 consists of four chapters that examine the impact of incarceration and reentry on inmates' children and families. One chapter examines the effects of mass incarceration on familial relationships through case studies of the experiences of some inmate families in Washington, DC. A second chapter explores the effects of parental incarceration on child development and the many factors that may help or hinder children's ability to cope with the loss of a parent. The third chapter focuses on the potential negative consequences of parental incarceration on the behavior of adolescent children in particular. The fourth chapter provides an overview of family matters during incarceration, including the problems they face and the strategies they use to manage those problems. The chapter concludes by examining the ways in which social policies and administrative practices hinder or support families' efforts to stay connected during incarceration. Part 3 contains three chapters on the impact of parental incarceration on the formal and informal service networks that are designed to support families and children, particularly those networks that serve the poor communities with relatively high percentages of incarcerated and released residents. Using geographical map overlays as a tool, one chapter documents the overlapping needs, services, and resources in Brooklyn (New York) neighborhoods to show how public assistance resources (health and human services) and criminal justice interventions are concentrated in those neighborhoods with relatively high percentages of incarcerated residents. This suggests the need for coordinated and integrated services in such neighborhoods. Another chapter emphasizes the importance of building social capital in neighborhoods impacted by high percentages of incarcerated and paroled individuals, since families and communities are handicapped and disadvantaged by the disruption of family bonds. The concluding chapter provides advice and instruction on building partnerships to strengthen offenders, families, and communities. Chapter references and notes and a subject index