100797: Families and Incarceration: An Ecological Approach

About the Course:

This article advances an ecological framework that emphasizes the context of parental incarceration and its impact on families and children. Particular attention is given to the disenfranchisement resulting from a family member’s imprisonment, loss, and the experience of family visiting in corrections settings. Drawing from Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) systemic approach to understanding development, the framework provides a basis from which to interpret existing scholarship as well as guide ecologically sensitive practice and policy.COURSE SYLLABUS I. Introduction II. Background and Significance III. Ecological Models and the Importance of Context IV. Deep-break Policy V. Implications for Intervention and Policy

Publication Date:

2005/ Vol. 86, No. 2

Author

Joyce Arditti, PhD

About the Authors:

Associate Professor Virginia Tech Department of Human Development

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for social workers, counselors, psychologists, and other human services and behavioral health professionals who seek knowledge about incarceration. It is appropriate for participants with intermediate to advanced levels of knowledge about the topic.

Course Objectives:

1. Identify factors related to imprisonment that may negatively effect the prisoner, the prisoner’s family, and the community.

2. Describe some ecological adjustments that may limit the negative impact on prisoners’ families.