Factors Affecting Contact Between Inmate Parents and Their Children: An Examination of Mothers and Fathers Behind Bars

As the number of children with incarcerated parents rises, it is important to identify the variables affecting their contact children. The majority of available research centers on in-person visitation, and ignores other forms of contact. Using a large, national sample of inmate parents, this study investigated the relationship of three categories of inmate-level variables (sociodemographic, criminality/sentencing, and institutional experience) upon mail, phone calls, and visitation with children. Children’s contact with inmate fathers is robustly predicted by sociodemographic variables (age, race, education, marital status, mental health). In contrast, contact with inmate mothers is more affected by a mixture of all three types of variables, including age, education, time served, being a violent offender, and rule violations committed during incarceration.