Familial Pains of Imprisonment: The Experience of Parents and Siblings of Incarcerated Men

Familial Pains of Imprisonment: The Experience of Parents and Siblings of Incarcerated Men

Prisoners--Social aspects

Moran Benisty, Moshe Bensimon, Natti Ronel

Victims & Offenders

Vol. 16

No. 2

2020

Journal article

English

Restricted Access

The goal of the present study was to gain insight into the experience of parents and siblings of incarcerated men who went through different stages of legal proceedings, arrest, and incarceration. The main questions of the research revolved around family relationships, attitudes toward various situations and perceived obstacles and experiences throughout the different stages of what they defined as “crisis”. A thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 17 parents and 10 siblings of incarcerated men in Israel shows that nuclear family members may experience various struggles, including family hardships, negative social experiences, and negative institutional experiences. Negative feelings, changes in attitudes toward society and its facilities, and loss of trust, resulted in the development of counter rejection, a process in which families seemed to be growing closer together and further away from social circles, and wavering almost all external help.

Kristen Walker