Maternal Incarceration and Family Endangerment: A Phenomenological Study of Husbands and Children in Selected Ghanaian Prisons

Maternal incarceration in Ghana extends punishment beyond imprisoned women to their husbands and children, creating collateral harms that destabilize families and weaken social cohesion. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, this study explores the experiences of families of incarcerated moth...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Kyei, Simon (Author) ; ObengAsare, James (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2026
In: The prison journal
Year: 2026, Volume: 106, Issue: 1, Pages: 87-108
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
systemic victimization
familial déstabilisation
maternal incarceration
Description
Summary:Maternal incarceration in Ghana extends punishment beyond imprisoned women to their husbands and children, creating collateral harms that destabilize families and weaken social cohesion. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, this study explores the experiences of families of incarcerated mothers. Drawing on Sykes’ pains of imprisonment, Bowen's family systems theory, and Goffman's stigma theory, the analysis reveals four interrelated consequences: emotional distress, disrupted roles, financial strain, and stigma. Findings show that imprisonment legitimizes systemic victimization, perpetuating vulnerability, and exclusion. The study fills a critical gap and offers implications for penal reform, child protection, and gender-sensitive policies.
ISSN:1552-7522
DOI:10.1177/00328855251396467