Support for Mothers Who Are Incarcerated: Impact of Mutual Aid Support Groups
In: Urban social work: USW, Band 4, Heft 1, S. 77-93
ISSN: 2474-8692
BackgroundThe number of American children with a mother who is incarcerated increased by 131% between 1991 and 2007, impacting more than one million children. Because of increased focus on the problems surrounding parents in prison, there has been a growing recognition of how incarceration negatively impacts children and that repairing these relationships is critical to improving family functioning.ObjectiveThe focus of this article is to present a community-based participatory study that measured the impact of a support group provided to mothers during incarceration.MethodsIn this pilot study we used a nonexperimental design for an 8-week support group assessed at baseline and post intervention.FindingsThis study demonstrated favorable results in forming social connections and promoting positive communication between group members.ConclusionCommunity-based organizations, which offer support to parents, grandparents, and children impacted by incarceration, need continual funding.