About Paternal Incarceration Research Essay

The Impact of Imprisonment on Fathers and Their Families

The United States works to increase the degree of comfort that its citizens will experience in their local communities. It is frequently carried out by making the criminals spend time in prison for the offenses committed. However, the young people also risk going to prison for the wrong things they did in society. The purpose of imprisonment is frequently to right social wrongs that have been committed. For the fathers, it serves as a model of how important it is for them to discipline their kids and lay the foundation for their future success. An incident where a father is incarcerated raises fear of other men not to join crime as their families will be left to struggle with no enough source of income to support the home.<\/p>

The Challenges Faced by Families When Fathers Are in Prison

On the other hand, the majority of the men in prison are fathers with a relatively small population taken to jail before baring a child. It can be interpreted as an alarming concept with many men in society, not considering the future of their children when found guilty of committing a crime. Additionally, the families that have lost their fathers through jail sentences are facing a series of financial hardships as the single mothers need to find a second job to support their children. The children will then have to shift their standard of life to an affordable practice with the majority of their needs proving a challenge to attain as they are to rely on their mothers to receive the basic needs. Despite the fact that the act of visiting an individual in jail being an expensive affair to the family, little adjustment has been made by the government to help these families maintain their bond with the lost partner. In some instances, these families are exposed to neglect and discrimination from their relatives and friends who will hardly have an interest in reducing the burden faced by the single parent.<\/p>

The Importance of Supporting Fragile Families

The article indicates that the majority of the men in the United States offers lesser contributions to child support compared to when they are sharing their earnings within the household. Geller, Garfinkel, & Western (2011) further state that the destabilizing effect or incarceration on family relationship leaves the children are a relatively complex economic situation. The children are also offered limited time to meet with their fathers, which later weakens the bond that was originally created by the father. The introduction of a foster parent will hardly offer a change in the state of life to these children as they will not offer appropriate care.<\/p>

Minimizing the Impact of Incarceration on Children

The inclusion of canceling practices to these children will act as a major pillar in minimizing the damage that these children are likely to receive due to the reduced contact they have with their fathers. Monitoring these activities will also have a major role in minimizing the trauma that the affected child is likely to get. The released fathers (completed serving his sentence) provide a minimal contribution to their families due to the fact that they have little contact with the labor market and the instability of their family and romantic relationships (Geller, Garfinkel, & Western, 2011). These men can then be introduced to a series of training programs enlightening them on the best procedure that can be used in supporting their families.<\/p>

References

Geller, A., Garfinkel, I., & Western, B. (2011). Paternal Incarceration and Support for Children in Fragile Familie. Population Association of America, 25-47.