Parenting behind bars: An evaluation of the parenting program at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women

Within the general trend of increased incarceration is the increased incarceration of women, the majority of whom are mothers. Review of the social and economic characteristics of inmate mothers established that typically they have limited social capital (e.g., educational and employment skills) and are single parents when they enter prison. Life course theory suggests that these women may resume pathways that lead to further criminal activity upon release and that their children may follow in their footsteps. Prison parenting programs offer mothers an opportunity to become better parents and to increase the social capital they may transfer to their children. Increased parenting knowledge and skill may improve mothers' communication and therefore relationships with their children. Improved relationships with children may be an incentive to behave while incarcerated and to pursue more positive pathways upon release from prison.;This study evaluated the efficacy of the parenting program at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women (KWIC) in changing incarcerated mothers' parenting knowledge and skills. The KCIW parenting program consists of both a parent education course and parent-child interaction opportunities. Eight parenting course sessions were conducted within the one year research time frame.;The researcher identified the goals of the parenting program from KCIW literature and formulated hypotheses based on those goals. A pretest-post test nonequivalent comparison group quasi-experimental design was selected to assess short-term change in parenting knowledge after a 12-week course sequence. Paired samples t-tests of time one and time two scores (N = 64) on scales from the Parent Child Relationship Inventory (Gerard 1994) and the Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory (Bavolek and Keene 1999) suggested change likely resulting from the program. After 12 weeks no significant change occurred in a comparison group (N = 26) of inmate mothers who had never participated in the program. Semi structured interviews with 50 inmates provided qualitative data that supported and clarified findings.