A Systematic Review of the Literature CHILDREN, INCARCERATED MOTHERS AND THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK ANGELIQUE FLORES, MAY 2013

Introduction The total number of incarcerated mothers increased 122% since 1991 (Glaze & Maruschak, 2010). Despite the increasing incidence, little is still known about the particular risks facing children between the ages of 0 – 18 with incarcerated mothers also involved with the child welfare system. Most incarcerated women are single (62%), White (48%), and between the ages of 25 to 34. Parenthood is also a reality, with 55% of women having minor children under the age of 18 (Glaze & Maruschak, 2010). Research Questions: 1. What are the risk factors for children in the child welfare system with incarcerated mothers? 2. What types of programs and social support services are available for children of incarcerated mothers? 3. What is the effectiveness of the existing types of programs in the United States working with child welfare agencies towards the reunification of mothers with their children? Further research is needed in this area in addition to support and assistance in the development of programs and social support services for children of incarcerated mothers.

Social Work Relevance Examining children of incarcerated mothers also involved in the child welfare system is important to social work practice, social policy development, and as a basis for further research. This study can contribute to the body of knowledge for social workers and provide assistance towards the development of programs and social support services for children of incarcerated mothers. Social work practitioners should create additional social service support for these children through partnerships between the child welfare systems, correctional systems and prisoner advocacy groups. Policy makers might further consider and study the impact of current sentencing guidelines for incarcerated mothers and visitation practices at correctional facilities. Finally, the profound increase in the percentage of incarcerated women merits further investigation.

Cultural Relevance Consideration of race and ethnicity are critical issues when examining incarcerated mothers and their children. Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system in comparison to their representation in the general population (Glaze & Maruschak, 2010). Continued awareness and development of appropriate services are needed for people of diverse backgrounds. Evidence-based interventions that employ race, ethnic, and gender specific modalities need further development (Miller, 2006). African American children (6.7%) were seven and a half times more inclined than white children (0.9%) to have an imprisoned parent; and Hispanic children (2.4%) were more than two and a half times more inclined than white children to have a parent in prison.

Methods Research Design: Qualitative, comparative analysis method (Miles & Huberman, 1994; Bradley, Curry, & Devers, 2007). Data Collection Method: Reference library professional as well as comprehensive search of academic databases. Sample: 20 – 25 articles during the past 15 years. Analysis Plan: “PICO” method (Gambrill, 2006). The following databases will be utilized: Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, ABI/INFORM, Social Services Abstracts, SocINDEX, The Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews, Criminal Justice Abstracts and Social Work Abstracts. Exclusion criteria will include studies done in languages other than English, narrative reviews, commentaries and other opinion based studies, weaker studies and multiple reports on the same set of data. Inclusion criteria will include studies during the past 15 years plus U.S. and international articles.

Results Many incarcerated mothers are imprisoned as a result of activities related to substance abuse problems (Mumola, 2000). This review of the literature presented research indicating a lack of programs and services focusing on drug rehabilitation for women offenders with children (Beckerman, 1998; Craig, 2009). Imprisoned mothers face many obstacles to avoid having their parental rights terminated (Beckerman, 1998; Halperin & Harris, 2004; Hayward & DePanfilis, 2007).

Results Cont. Child welfare agencies need to work collaboratively with correctional institutions and implement nationwide programs to meet the needs of incarcerated mothers and their children more effectively. Also unaddressed are the problems facing children from the trauma of maternal incarceration. This literature review found no current information or reliable data indicating any significant improvements regarding special programs targeted towards children with incarcerated mothers.

Implications for Social Work Policy & Practice Research indicates that children of incarcerated mothers in the child welfare system are at risk for higher rates of antisocial and delinquent behavior than children whose mothers are neither incarcerated nor involved in the child welfare system (Cho, 2010; Foster & Hagan, 2007; Dallaire, 2007; Murray & Farrington, 2008; Murray, Seokol, & Olsen, 2009). Social work practitioners should create additional social service support for these children through partnerships among child welfare systems, correctional systems and prisoner advocacy groups.

Implications for Social Work Research More research is needed to better understand the impact of maternal incarceration on children. While children of incarcerated mothers are at risk of experiencing many adverse outcomes, the exact cause of these outcomes and how to improve them is not clear (Hairston, 2007; Shlafer & Poehlmann, 2010). Another gap in the literature involves the reunification of a formerly incarcerated mother with children who have been in the child welfare system (Gleeson, 2007; Hairston, 2009; Laughlin, Arrigo, Blevins, & Coston, 2008). Regarding those instances particularly involving kinship foster care, the research is minimal.

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