Introduction
It has been acknowledged that the incarceration of people has various implications. These people are often vulnerable when they are trying to reintegrate into society. There are various programs aimed at helping these populations to become productive members of the community (McClure et al., 2015). Nonetheless, it has been estimated that two-thirds of released inmates get engaged in the unlawful activities, and approximately half of these people go back to jail (Berg & Huebner, 2011). It is also acknowledged that incarcerated parents or guardians are a distinct group as their children play a significant role in their reintegration as well as the rate of recidivism (Latessa, Listwan & Koetzle, 2014). This research concentrates on factors affecting recidivism in incarcerated parents or guardians. A survey design is chosen for this study as it enables the researcher to reveal people’s attitudes towards certain aspects, their experiences and factors that have an impact on the choices they make.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this research is to determine particular factors contributing to recidivism in incarcerated parents or guardians as well as analyze the effectiveness of programs aimed at assisting these people to reintegrate into society. It is important to note that the survey will generalize the experiences of these people, and it will be possible to develop certain recommendations concerning reintegration programs. Hallett and Johnson (2014) state that the family, as well as faith-based programs, are the most effective. This survey will attempt to identify the efficiency of these methods.
Research Questions
- Do parents consider possible adverse outcomes of their incarceration for their children when thinking about committing a crime?
- Do financial issues and the desire to better provide for children contribute to recidivism?
- Are faith-based programs efficient?
- Are programs based on the development of family ties effective?
- Is visitation of children useful?
To answer these questions, samples will complete questionnaires. Likert scale questions will be utilized. The use of this type of survey question will enable the identification of participants’ attitudes towards programs and unlawful behaviors.
Hypotheses
Parents consider possible outcomes of their unlawful behavior for their children.
Faith-based programs, visitation of children and programs based on the development of family ties are efficient.
These hypotheses are measurable by identifying the way incarcerated people see the programs and their possible involvement in illegal activities.
Research Plan
This study focuses on the attitudes of incarcerated parents. Hence, the participants of the study will be young adults (18-45) who have a child or children or who are guardians. Members of reintegration programs and inmates who have been incarcerated for the second time. To generalize the findings, approximately 1000 people should participate in the study. The independent variable for this study will be the programs, the participant’s age, and family conditions. The dependent variable will be such factors as programs’ elements, employment, children visitation and family ties. The analysis of responses to questionnaires is an efficient method as it enables to identify particular factors affecting people’s choices. It is possible to determine some threats to validity. Thus, ambiguous temporal precedence can be one of the threats as it can be difficult to determine particular factors that have a more significant effect. It is possible to mitigate this issue by crafting the questions in the questionnaire. The researcher will obtain informed consent where the purpose and methods of the research will be outlined. Confidentiality and anonymity will be ensured. The questions will also be developed with particular attention to ethical issues that may arise.
References
Berg, M.T., & Huebner, B.M. (2011). Reentry and the ties that bind: An examination of social ties, employment, and recidivism. Justice Quarterly, 28(2), 382-410.
Hallet, M., & Johnson, B. (2014). The resurgence of religion in America’s prisons. Religions, 5(1), 663-683.
Latessa, E.J., Listwan, S.J., & Koetzle, D. (2014). What works (and doesn’t) in reducing recidivism. New York, NY: Routledge.
McClure, H.H., Shortt, J.W., Eddy, J.M., Holmes, A., Van Uum, S., Russell, E., … Martinez, C.R. (2015). Associations among mother-child contact, parenting stress, and mother and child adjustment related to incarceration. In J. Poehlmann-Tynan (Ed.), Children’s contact with incarcerated parents: Implications for policy and intervention (pp. 59-83). New York, NY: Springer.