Comments on: a fam affair http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/a-fam-affair/ mommy-wife-student-friend Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:06:34 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: gradmommy http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/a-fam-affair/#comment-494 gradmommy Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:54:33 +0000 http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/?p=183#comment-494 ah, i hear you. ah, i hear you.

]]> By: newsocprof http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/a-fam-affair/#comment-493 newsocprof Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:22:14 +0000 http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/?p=183#comment-493 sorry, i was anonymous above. my point is that i'm really struck by the depth of the belief on this issue, not that practices were ahead of evidence (which, as you say, is totally unsurprising). i asked the head of parole for a state with a very large prison population about this (e.g., "do you see any problems with family reintegration in every case? what are the risks? is it problematic to engage children in a project to reduce recidivism in their parents?" etc). he replied with a pretty firm no to all of the above. the part i am thinking a lot about now are the conflicts -- at the end of the day, the inmate is the client of the system, not the inmate's family, partner, or children. still, for someone like me who is resarching this, it's great to start with a system that believes in the importance of your research as access is certainly much easier. sorry, i was anonymous above. my point is that i’m really struck by the depth of the belief on this issue, not that practices were ahead of evidence (which, as you say, is totally unsurprising). i asked the head of parole for a state with a very large prison population about this (e.g., “do you see any problems with family reintegration in every case? what are the risks? is it problematic to engage children in a project to reduce recidivism in their parents?” etc). he replied with a pretty firm no to all of the above.

the part i am thinking a lot about now are the conflicts — at the end of the day, the inmate is the client of the system, not the inmate’s family, partner, or children. still, for someone like me who is resarching this, it’s great to start with a system that believes in the importance of your research as access is certainly much easier.

]]> By: olderwoman http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/a-fam-affair/#comment-492 olderwoman Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:52:28 +0000 http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/?p=183#comment-492 This seems like a really important area to work in. On both sides: family --> deviance and deviance --> family. And the crime/criminal justice angle opens a lot of job possibilities, a non-trivial issue for a person with a family to support. This seems like a really important area to work in. On both sides: family –> deviance and deviance –> family. And the crime/criminal justice angle opens a lot of job possibilities, a non-trivial issue for a person with a family to support.

]]> By: gradmommy http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/a-fam-affair/#comment-491 gradmommy Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:26:58 +0000 http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/?p=183#comment-491 right - that's what I'm thinking as well. But that's always the case in policy - there are very few evidence-based practices out there... right – that’s what I’m thinking as well. But that’s always the case in policy – there are very few evidence-based practices out there…

]]> By: Anonymous http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/a-fam-affair/#comment-490 Anonymous Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:13:05 +0000 http://gradmommy.wordpress.com/?p=183#comment-490 interesting questions... i spend most of my work life thinking about this and re: reentry, i find myself a bit conflicted. the number of reentry and prison programs focusing on family have gone up quite a lot and those i know in corrections believe family is key to reducing recidivism. the problem is... they think that is that it is case for EVERYONE and you don't hear a lot of nuance in the argument in practice. in my own work, i find a subset of cases where this is disatrous (for example, when there is a history of domestic violence between mom and dad or when parenting responsibilities add strain to an already taxed ex-inmate and leads to more crime). it's really complicated and my own reading of the literature is that practices on the ground are way ahead of the research, for good or for ill. interesting questions… i spend most of my work life thinking about this and re: reentry, i find myself a bit conflicted. the number of reentry and prison programs focusing on family have gone up quite a lot and those i know in corrections believe family is key to reducing recidivism. the problem is… they think that is that it is case for EVERYONE and you don’t hear a lot of nuance in the argument in practice. in my own work, i find a subset of cases where this is disatrous (for example, when there is a history of domestic violence between mom and dad or when parenting responsibilities add strain to an already taxed ex-inmate and leads to more crime). it’s really complicated and my own reading of the literature is that practices on the ground are way ahead of the research, for good or for ill.

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