316 12 Corrections and Prison Practices—Family Forensics
kinship systems? How do pseudofamilies operate in the correctional milieu? Some
women in prison, prior to and once confined, get pregnant. What health and men-
tal health-care services are provided to incarcerated pregnant women? What health
and mental health-care services are availed to adolescent girls in youth facilities?
What are the constitutional limits to receiving such medical treatment? What is the
emotional impact to women receiving minimal prenatal and newborn infant care
while incarcerated? Many female prisoners are mothers. What are the emotional
and health-care consequences to both mothers and their children when the parent
is incarcerated? How do children (and mothers) deal with the anxiety of separation r
How can forensic psychologists help ease the pain of separation caused by crim-
inal confinement? Other family members such as spouses are also traumatized by
the incarceration of a loved one. Loneliness, depression, and anxiety are just a few
of the symptoms experienced by many spouses. What services exist (i.e., support
groups) to address these psychological problems? What advocacy work is being
done to improve the standards for prison visitation by family members? Mothers
in prisons represent a special group of offender. Who are they demographically?
Is there a personality profile for this offender group? To what extent do mothers
in prison feel shame, guilt, and grief as a result of their (criminal) life choices?
How do they cope with the grief that comes from the loss of parental bonding and
parenting?
At the intersection of corrections, psychology, and family studies are an array of
issues and controversies affecting the lives of persons incarcerated and their loved
ones. Forensic psychologists are uniquely trained to explore these dynamic issues
and assist prison systems in meeting the challenges posed by such constituencies.
As the sections of this chapter make evident, more and better research is essential if
society is to adequately respond to the problems posed by the family forensic field.
Indeed, while most would agree that criminal confinement for offenses committed
is punishment in itself, questions remain about how best to address the debilitating
and agonizing consequences of life in prison for those confined and for those family
members who wait for the release of their spouse, their parent, or their loved one.
"Make-Believe" Families
Introduction
When men and women who commit crimes are sent to prison, it is easy for many
people to say that they are being punished and should not be entitled to those
things to which ordinary citizens are entitled. However, some criminals spend
many years confined in the prison environment, and they still experience the same
emotions and feelings as when they were not imprisoned. It is unrealistic to assume
that these inmates can shut themselves off from wanting intimacy and affection,
especially in such a lonely environment where the need for affection is perhaps