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Parental Incarceration, Child Homelessness, and the Invisible Consequences of Mass Imprisonment

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  • Christopher Wildeman

Abstract

This article presents research on the consequences of mass imprisonment for childhood inequality. I investigate average and race-specific effects of paternal and maternal incarceration on the risk of child homelessness, using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The results suggest that (1) recent paternal but not maternal incarceration substantially increases the risk of child homelessness, (2) effects are concentrated among African American children, and (3) increases in familial economic hardship and decreases in access to institutional support explain some of the relationship. Taken together, the findings indicate the prison boom was likely a key driver of the growing racial disparities in child homelessness, increasing black-white inequality in this risk by 65 percent since the 1970s. When coupled with the other effects of mass imprisonment on childhood inequality, these results suggest that the prison boom will likely lead to far greater black-white inequality in civic and political participation, as the children of the prison boom come of age.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Wildeman, 2014. "Parental Incarceration, Child Homelessness, and the Invisible Consequences of Mass Imprisonment," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 651(1), pages 74-96, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:651:y:2014:i:1:p:74-96
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716213502921
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sascha O. Becker & Marco Caliendo, 2007. "Sensitivity analysis for average treatment effects," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 7(1), pages 71-83, February.
    2. Christopher Wildeman, 2009. "Parental imprisonment, the prison boom, and the concentration of childhood disadvantage," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 46(2), pages 265-280, May.
    3. Christopher Swann & Michelle Sylvester, 2006. "The foster care crisis: What caused caseloads to grow," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 43(2), pages 309-335, May.
    4. Devah Pager, 2003. "The mark of a criminal record," Natural Field Experiments 00319, The Field Experiments Website.
    5. Amanda Geller & Irwin Garfinkel & Bruce Western, 2011. "Paternal Incarceration and Support for Children in Fragile Families," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(1), pages 25-47, February.
    6. Reichman, Nancy E. & Teitler, Julien O. & Garfinkel, Irwin & McLanahan, Sara S., 2001. "Fragile Families: sample and design," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4-5), pages 303-326.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jeffrey Olivet & Catriona Wilkey & Molly Richard & Marc Dones & Julia Tripp & Maya Beit-Arie & Svetlana Yampolskaya & Regina Cannon, 2021. "Racial Inequity and Homelessness: Findings from the SPARC Study," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 693(1), pages 82-100, January.
    2. Qi Li & Cynthia G. Colen, 2024. "Racial Disparities in the Relationship Between Parental Incarceration and Childhood Obesity," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 43(4), pages 1-22, August.
    3. Bruce Western, 2014. "Incarceration, Inequality, and Imagining Alternatives," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 651(1), pages 302-306, January.
    4. Christopher Wildeman & Kristin Turney & Youngmin Yi, 2016. "Paternal Incarceration and Family Functioning," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 665(1), pages 80-97, May.
    5. Amy A. Morgan & Joyce A. Arditti & Susan Dennison & Signe Frederiksen, 2021. "Against the Odds: A Structural Equation Analysis of Family Resilience Processes during Paternal Incarceration," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-21, November.
    6. Traci R. Burch, 2014. "Effects of Imprisonment and Community Supervision on Neighborhood Political Participation in North Carolina," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 651(1), pages 184-201, January.
    7. Zachary Parolin, 2021. "Income Support Policies and the Rise of Student and Family Homelessness," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 693(1), pages 46-63, January.
    8. Kristin Turney, 2014. "Incarceration and Social Inequality," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 651(1), pages 97-101, January.
    9. Marie Gottschalk, 2014. "Democracy and the Carceral State in America," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 651(1), pages 288-295, January.
    10. Alicia Herreros-Fraile & Rodrigo J. Carcedo & Antonio Viedma & Victoria Ramos-Barbero & Noelia Fernández-Rouco & Pilar Gomiz-Pascual & Consuelo del Val, 2023. "Parental Incarceration, Development, and Well-Being: A Developmental Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-44, February.
    11. Michael Leo Owens, 2014. "Ex-Felons’ Organization-Based Political Work for Carceral Reforms," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 651(1), pages 256-265, January.
    12. Hedwig Lee & Lauren C. Porter & Megan Comfort, 2014. "Consequences of Family Member Incarceration," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 651(1), pages 44-73, January.
    13. Sara Wakefield & Kathleen Powell, 2016. "Distinguishing Petty Offenders from Serious Criminals in the Estimation of Family Life Effects," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 665(1), pages 195-212, May.

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