Speakers
Description
Authors: Anita Mehay (City St George’s, University of London), Charles R. Martinez, Jr (College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin and Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene), Essi Julin (Tampere University), J. Mark Eddy (The University of Texas at Austin), Jabeer Butt (City St George’s, University of London), Jean Kjellstrand (University of Oregon), Jenni Repo (Tampere University), Leandra Box (City St George’s, University of London), Rachel Duncan (City St George’s, University of London), Richard G. Watt (City St George’s, University of London), Rosi Enroos (Tampere University), Åsa Norman (Karolinska Institutet)
Chair: J. Mark Eddy
This symposium gathers experiences from a variety of countries to discuss prevention efforts that bring research to practice to target at-risk families that face complex adversities: families affected by incarceration. Incarcerated parents, their children, their partners, and their relatives often run a high risk of ill-health and marginalization, a situation which has been documented through a large body of research conducted across the globe. These families vary greatly in terms of needs and levels of difficulty and preventive efforts need to be multi-faceted, targeting not only the entire family but also various aspects of the communities within which they live. These types of efforts can be difficult to put into practice for several reasons. For example, families can be difficult to reach and to develop and maintain relationships with. Further, the political landscapes that impact practice and policies related to these families are quite dynamic and can be unpredictable. Such situations call for innovative and flexible strategies to develop, assess and implement evidence-based interventions that prevent risk. This Symposium brings together practice-based researchers from England, Finland, Sweden, and the US with a variety of welfare structures and political context with examples of interventions targeting these families. Current projects from these countries are in various stages, from development, assessment, and implementation in practice. The Symposium will also highlight how various forms of data and designs (e.g., registry-based, co-creative design, mixed-methods, and observation) are essential in the progress of prevention for at-risk groups. Finally, the Symposium will pinpoint the need to use knowledge from a variety of contexts across the globe when launching new initiatives, with the intent of informing the construction of innovative and flexible preventive programs for at-risk and hard-to-reach groups within specific environments.
Abstract 1
Development and testing of parenting interventions for incarcerated parents in the US
J. Mark Eddy (The University of Texas at Austin), Jabeer Butt (City St George’s, University of London), Charles R. Martinez, Jr (College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin and Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene)
Background: The US incarcerates more people than any country in the world. The majority of incarcerated adults in the US are parents. Most parents in prison had contact with their families before prison and most maintain contact with their families during prison. A prevailing hypothesis is that a positive connection with family during imprisonment promotes a successful reentry back to the community. Traditionally, and particularly in prisons for women, one way in which US departments of corrections have attempted to facilitate positive connections with family is through prison-based parenting programs. In this presentation, the development, expansion, and dissemination of one such parenting program will be discussed,the cognitive-behavioral parent management training (PMT) program Parenting Inside Out (PIO).
Method: PIO was developed in collaboration with the state of Oregon Department of Corrections and the non-profit organization The Pathfinders Network. The program was informed by the lived experiences of incarcerated parents, the caregivers of their children, practitioners who teach parenting in prison, and other key stakeholders. Outcomes due to PIO were examined within the context of a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Incarcerated parents from all correctional facilities in the state of Oregon were recruited to participate, and eligible parents who consented (N = 359) were transferred to participating releasing
institutions. After initial assessment, parents were randomized to the PIO “intervention” condition or a services-as-usual “control” condition and then followed through the remainder of their prison sentences and to one year after release. Intervention condition participants were
offered PIO prior to their release. After the trial was complete, the program was disseminated throughout Oregon and the US. Since this time, the program has been a part of various efforts that include multiple components targeting individual and family functioning.
Results: In the original trial, outcomes favoring participants in the intervention condition were found in areas of importance to parents and their children and families and to public health and safety at large, including a decreased likelihood of problems related to substance
use and of engaging in criminal behavior during the first six months following release as well as a decreased likelihood of being arrested by police during the first year following release. A variety of other types of information have been collected on the program since the original
trial, and ongoing attempts are being made to rigorously study the program further in various locales.
Conclusions: The implications of the findings of the original trial and subsequent experiences are discussed for parents, children, and families, including the critical need for replication of the original RCT and as well as additional scientifically rigorous research on multicomponent parenting programs delivered during the reentry period.
Abstract 2
Development and pilot of a Finnish parenting intervention for caregivers of children with incarcerated parents
Rosi Enroos (Tampere University), Essi Julin (Tampere University), Jenni Repo (Tampere University), Jean Kjellstrand (University of Oregon)
Background: Despite growing international research on the effects of parental incarceration, there is a lack of interventions to support families living in the shadow of prison. The main carers of these children often receive little support despite facing the crisis of imprisonment, childcare, and financial responsibilities often alone. As part of a larger study, we develop and pilot a research-based parenting intervention for the first time in Finland. Previous research has demonstrated that the wellbeing of parents, positive family relationships, and successful coparenting can offset some adverse impacts of parental incarceration. Therefore, the parenting intervention is targeted at the main carers of children to support caregivers with the goal of building positive family relationships. This presentation discusses the development, content, and piloting of the intervention.
Methods: Procedures were modified from U.S.-developed family-centered cognitive behavioural parenting management training program. To address effective research-based factors in the group intervention, the intervention incorporates elements from mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and psychoeducation on parental imprisonment and effective
parenting practices, and also include peer support. The program has been co-developed with the target group and a non-profit organisation to ensure its relevance. The program will be piloted with 20 parent-child pairs (children aged 0-10 years) in 2026. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative assessments.
Results: Data will provide insights into the experiences of participants and the practical challenges encountered during piloting. The results are expected to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the parenting intervention program (e.g. recruitment, enrolment and client satisfaction) in Finland and its potential benefits for families with incarcerated parents.
Discussion: Challenges related to (co-)developing and piloting the program will be discussed. The implications for prevention research, practice, and policy will be considered, highlighting the importance of supporting this vulnerable population.
Abstract 3
Fathers Together: Exploring the intersectional experiences of young ethnically minoritised fathers in prison to codevelop a parenting programme
Anita Mehay (City St George’s, University of London), Rachel Duncan (City St George’s, University of London), Jabeer Butt (City St George’s, University of London), Leandra Box (City St George’s, University of London), Richard G. Watt (City St George’s, University of London)
Background: Parental imprisonment is a significant public health concern but there is limited evidence or understanding in the UK of the experiences of fatherhood in prison, particularly in Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic groups who are overrepresented in the prison
population. Moreover, young fathers in prison are seldom the focus of research, practice or policy except through deficit lens that portrays them as absent, incapable or feckless. Our aim was to explore the experiences of young fathers through a strengths-based and intersectional lens as a way to develop and implement a parenting programme.
Methods: We adopted a coproduction approach through a series of phases, including an initial examination of needs in a sample of 455 young adults aged 18-25 years old in five prisons in London and 50 semi structured interviews young fathers, family members and staff. We used insights to co-develop a parenting programme with men with lived experience and implemented this with a group of young fathers in prison.
Results: We revealed a high level of unmet need with 35% (n=148) reporting to be fathers with ~ 200 children impacted. Nearly all young fathers wanted to be close with and involved in their children’s life, but few received meaningful support which considered their life
experiences, ethnicity, and cultures. Many described challenges in tackling stereotypes and expectations associated with youth, ethnicity and masculinity. We went on to adapt a parenting programme with a lived experience group based on these findings and successfully delivered this to a group of six young fathers in a prison.
Discussion: This study addresses a critical but overlooked public health concern relating to young fathers in prison. Taking a coproduction and intersectional approach helped ensure a parenting programme for young fathers in prison was strengths-based, non-stigmatising and meaningful.
Abstract 4
Building evidence towards a multi-level support model to prevent ill-health and marginalisation among children with incarcerated parents: The example of Sweden
Åsa Norman (Karolinska Institutet)
Background: Children with incarcerated parents comprise a severely underserved group in society, with elevated risks for ill-health, marginalisation, and criminality. The complex adversity of these children can be related to risk factors on several levels: the child, the family, and the community, and intervention models that target all levels over a longer period of time are needed to prevent risks. In Sweden, development and evaluation of such a multilevel support model has been conducted since 2019. This presentation provides a description
of the multi-level support model and empirical evidence for the support component on the family level -- the For Our Children’s Sake programme (FOCS)
Method: Effects of FOCS were tested in a controlled trial in 15 prisons with 91 parents. Child-parent relationship quality, criminal attitude, and interest in treatment programmes were measured pre- (T0) and post intervention (T1), and after three-months (T2). Evaluation of the implementation process included questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with parents (n=58), group leaders (n=23), and correctional inspectors (n=12).
Results: Favourable intervention effects over time were found for relationship quality and criminal attitude. Both effects were explained by significant group differences at T2. The process evaluation showed a great need for child and parenting focused interventions. Additional activities provided over a long period of time, and links between child-parent focused activities both inside and outside of prison were called for to sustain the work on parenting skills and child-parent relationship.
Conclusions: The evaluation of FOCS suggests that program can comprise one beneficial component on the family level of the multi-level support model. Further considerations and plans for additional components on all levels of the model will be discussed.
| Conflict of interest | None |
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