Role Strain and Incarcerated Mothers

A survey was administered to 109 mothers incarcerated at a minimum-security prison. The purpose of this study was to examine a variety of variables associated with being a mother in prison to determine whether these factors affected the maternal role strain of incarcerated women. The findings suggest that women in prison experience high levels of role strain as a whole. However, white women, women who had served longer sentences, women who had not lived with their children prior to incarceration, and women who did not approve of their children's custody arrangements were found to have significantly higher levels of role strain. The study also indicates that women in prison will experience less role strain if they are allowed to engage in mothering activities rather than simply maintaining this prescribed status.