Parenting Stress, Alliance, Child Contact, and Adjustment of Imprisoned Mothers and Fathers

The present study contrasted the parenting stress and adjustment patterns of 100 mothers and 111 fathers incarcerated in one of 11 U.S. prisons. In comparison to inmate mothers, fathers had less contact with children, higher levels of parenting stress, and poorer alliance with caregivers. For inmate mothers, higher levels of contact with children—particularly letter writing—was associated with reduced parenting stress. For both mothers and fathers, there was an association between heightened parenting stress and increased levels of self-reported in-prison violent and aggressive behaviors. For women, increased parenting stress as well as lower levels of parenting alliance with caregivers was associated with heightened depressive symptoms. Results imply the importance of recognizing the impact of separation from children on parents in prison, and support the need for prison parenting interventions that directly address ways of coping with parenting stress.