Abstract

Family science and public health scholars have documented the consequences of incarceration for the well-being of individuals, children, families, and communities. Yet the largest form of supervision in the criminal legal system is not imprisonment, but probation, with little known about the experiences of parents on probation. We analyzed interviews with 153 adults on probation, 68 (44%) of whom reported being parents of minor children (under 18 years). Compared to participants without minor children, parents with minor children were younger and more likely to be employed. Among parents, 42% reported having custody of one or more minor children and 20% lived with their minor children at the time of the interview. Yet, most (82%) parents reported they provided some form of care or support. Qualitative analyses of four case studies show the challenges facing parents on probation and the complex intersection of custody, living arrangements, and care and support for minor children. We find that parenthood and probation are interconnected, with parent status influencing the experience of supervision and probation impacting parenting opportunities and constraints. Findings suggest service providers working with parents on probation need to attend to these complex family dynamics.

摘要

家庭科学和公共卫生学者已经记录了监禁对个人、儿童、家庭和社区福祉的影响。然而，刑事法律体系中最大的监督形式不是监禁，而是缓刑，而缓刑期间父母的经历却鲜为人知。我们分析了对 153 名缓刑成年人的访谈，其中 68 名 (44%) 人自称是未成年子女（18 岁以下）的父母。与没有未成年子女的参与者相比，有未成年子女的父母更年轻，更有可能就业。在父母中，42% 的父母表示拥有一名或多名未成年子女的监护权，20% 的父母在接受采访时与未成年子女住在一起。然而，大多数（82%）父母表示他们提供了某种形式的照顾或支持。对四个案例研究的定性分析显示了父母在缓刑期间面临的挑战以及监护权、生活安排以及对未成年子女的照顾和支持的复杂交叉点。我们发现，亲子身份和缓刑是相互关联的，父母身份影响监督体验，缓刑则影响养育机会和限制。调查结果表明，与缓刑期间的父母合作的服务提供者需要关注这些复杂的家庭动态。