1. Families of Incarcerated African American Men: The Impact on Mothers and Children.
- Author
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Hattery, Angela J. and Smith, Earl
- Subjects
- *
AFRICAN Americans , *RACIAL differences , *IMPRISONMENT , *DRUG laws - Abstract
Scores of research studies have demonstrated that African American men, more than any other men of differing races and ethnicities, are incarcerated at levels today higher than they were just 25 years ago. Other research has demonstrated that the combination of "Rockefeller" drug laws, disparities in sentencing, mandatory minimum sentences, and the inability to pay for qualified counsel all contribute to these high rates of incarceration as well as, in many cases, sentences that are disproportionately long for the crimes committed. What we know less about is the impact on the families of these men once incarceration takes place and this includes their wives, girlfriends, mothers, significant others and their children. This paper is an analysis of all of the aforementioned factors also including fiscal issues, schooling, visitation and the overall "collateral damage" of incarceration on families of incarcerated African American men. The analysis ends with policy proposals for decreasing the debilitation impact of incarceration on African American families in the 21st Century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014