Effects of Incarceration on a Marriage - 500 Words

The Effects of Incarceration on a Marriage Since 1970 the rate of incarceration has more than tripled in the United States alone. In may urban cities such as Washington D.C., it has increased five fold. But statistics do not reveal what it is like for the children, wives, and parents of prisoners. It certainly does not show how the increasing numbers of inmates on the inside are having a profound effect on the outside--reaching deep into the family and community life of urban american families. Drawing on numerous powerful family structures supported by extensive empirical data, studies are shining a light on the darker side of a system that is failing the very people it is designed to protect. In a recent study of delinquent boys,†¦show more content†¦Single parent households are the hardest hit, often losing substantial income when one parent was a major contributor. Coupled with feelings of shame, guilt, anxiety, and depression. Parents and children might have to deal with being shunned by society and family. Loneliness is probably the biggest problem facing consorts of inmates, states an article written by (Western, B.,2007). Many spouses also feel guilt from not being able to support their other half during a hardship like this. The sentiment of resentment toward your other half for leaving are also common according to (Wilderman, C. Western, B.,2010), written in Incarceration in Fragile Families. An important thing to remember is not to lose contact with your sequestered loved one so as to not cause further resentment. In the final analysis, social scientist are only begining to disconnect the association between mass confinement and family structure. A recent revision of the literature implies the presence of a perverse cycle in which weakening and fragile family ties limit the life chances of disadvantaged families while creating chances for participation in criminal activity and an sizeable increase in the likelihood of imprisonment. Although literature provides descriptions of, and critical insights into the types of challenges faced when couples are seperated by imprisonment,Show MoreRelatedThe Inequality Of The Prison Population Essay1429 Words   |  6 Pagesas is, (Martensen, 2012). Marriage is an important institution especially for the criminal justice system since it prevents recidivism and decreases the chances of one committing a crime. This was proven in a study done by Sampson and Laub where they found that those with strong marital ties refrain one from committing a crime, even if they were participating in delinquent behavior as adolescents (Sampson and Laub, 1993). 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