A Gendered Exploration of the Relationship Between Prison Program Participation and Parent–Child Contact Among Parents Experiencing Incarceration

Incarceration physically separates parents from their children emphasizing the need to understand parent–child contact. Research shows that prison program participation is linked to increased parent–child contact across multiple modalities, though it is unclear if contact differs for mothers compared to fathers. To address this gap in the literature, we analyzed the 2016 U.S. Survey of Prison Inmates data for a sample of parents experiencing incarceration in state prisons. Logistic regression models were employed to illustrate relationships between prison program participation and four different types of parent-initiated child contact modalities: in-person visits, phone calls, sending mail, and sending email. We further identify gender differences in program participation and parent–child contact modalities. We conclude with a discussion on the study’s findings and implications for future research.