Best interest of children of incarcerated parents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5937/crimen2402207DKeywords:
best interest of children; social welfare; incarceration; children's rights; prison; criminal justice systemAbstract
This paper is based on an analysis of the protection of the best interests of children whose parents are serving prison sentences in the Republic of Serbia. The research aims to identify mechanisms and legal frameworks directed towards their protection, particularly through the application of the principle of the best interests of the child. Through an analysis of relevant laws and legal standards concerning the rights of the child and individuals serving prison sentences, the paper identifies challenges that these children face during their upbringing. The research results indicate insufficiently clear definition of the principle of the best interests of the child, especially regarding the preservation of regular direct contacts between children and parents serving prison sentences. The importance of improving collaboration between professionals in the field of social welfare and the criminal justice system is emphasized, along with their continuous education to ensure adequate support and protection for this vulnerable group. In this regard, there is an indicated need for improvement of laws and policies related to children with parents in prison to ensure effective legal protection and support in the implementation of the principle of the best interests.
Downloads
References
Arditti, J. A., J. Lambert-Shute, and K. Joest. 2003. "Saturday Morning at the Jail: Implications of Incarceration for Families and Children." Family Relations 52: 195–204. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2003.00195.x.
Bloom, B., and D. Steinhart. 1993. Why Punish the Children? A Reappraisal of the Children of Incarcerated Mothers in America. San Francisco, CA: National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
Bocknek, E. L., J. Sanderson, and P. A. Britner. 2009. "Ambiguous Loss and Posttraumatic Stress in School-Age Children of Prisoners." Journal of Child and Family Studies 18 (3): 323–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-008-9233-y.
Boswell, G., and P. Wedge. 2002. Imprisoned Fathers and Their Children. London: Jessica Kingsley. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2206.2002.t01-1-00258.x.
Braman, D. 2004. Doing Time on the Outside: Incarceration and Family Life in Urban America. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.17629.
Braman, D., and J. Wood. 2003. "From One Generation to the Next: How Criminal Sanctions Are Reshaping Family Life in Urban America." In Prisoners Once Removed: The Impact of Incarceration and Reentry on Children, Families, and Communities, edited by J. Travis and M. Waul, 157–188. Washington, DC: Urban Institute.
Brkić, M. 2010. Zastupanje u socijalnom radu. Beograd: Fakultet političkih nauka.
Cecil, D. K., J. McHale, A. Strozier, and J. Pietsch. 2008. "Female Inmates, Family Caregivers, and Young Children’s Adjustment: A Research Agenda and Implications for Corrections Programming." Journal of Criminal Justice 36: 513–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2008.09.002.
Clar, V. A., and G. Duwe. 2016. "Distance Matters: Examining the Factors That Impact Prisoner Visitation in Minnesota." Criminal Justice & Behavior 44 (2): 184–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854816667416.
Comfort, M. L. 2003. "In the Tube at San Quentin." Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 32 (1): 77–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241602238939.
Đorđević, V., and J. Hrnčić. 2023. "Problemi dece roditelja u zatvoru i njihova pozicija u sistemu socijalne zaštite." Temida 26 (3): 365–387.
Eddy, J. M., and J. B. Reid. 2003. "The Adolescent Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Developmental Perspective." In Prisoners Once Removed: The Impact of Incarceration and Reentry on Children, Families, and Communities, edited by J. Travis and M. Waul, 233–258. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press.
Farrington, D. P. 2003. "Key Results from the First Forty Years of the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development." In Taking Stock of Delinquency: An Overview of Findings from Contemporary Longitudinal Studies, edited by T. P. Thornberry and M. D. Krohn, 137–183. New York: Kluwer Academic – Plenum. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47945-1_5.
Farrington, D. P., D. Jolliffe, R. Loeber, L. M. Stouthamer-Loeber, and K. M. Kalb. 2001. "The Concentration of Offenders in Families, and Family Criminality in the Prediction of Boys’ Delinquency." Journal of Adolescence 24: 579–596. https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.2001.0424.
Hagan, J., and R. Dinovitzer. 1999. "Collateral Consequences of Imprisonment for Children, Communities, and Prisoners." In Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, edited by M. Tonry and J. Petersilia, 121–162. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.1086/449296.
Hairston, C. F. 1991. "Family Ties During Imprisonment: Important to Whom and for What?" Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare 18 (1): 87–104. https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.1970.
Hairston, C. F. 1995. "Fathers in Prison." In Children of Incarcerated Parents, edited by D. Johnston and K. Gables, 31–40. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Hairston, C. F. 2007. Focus on Children with Incarcerated Parents: An Overview of the Research Literature. Baltimore: The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Ignjatović, Đ. 2019. "Međunarodni Izvori Prava Izvršenja Krivičnih Sankcija Prema Nepunoletnim Licima – Dokumenti Saveta Evrope." In Kaznena Reakcija u Srbiji, IX deo, edited by Đ. Ignjatović, 1–42. Beograd: Univerzitet u Beogradu – Pravni fakultet.
Jakovac Lozić, D., and I. Vetma. 2006. "Seksualna Orijentacija Posvojitelja i Najbolji Interes Djeteta." Zbornik Pravnog Fakulteta u Zagrebu 56 (5): 1405–1442.
Kahya, O., and C. Ergin Ekinci. 2018. "In Their Own Words: School Lives of Children with an Imprisoned Parent." International Journal of Educational Development 62: 165–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2018.04.002.
Lipsey, M. W., and J. H. Derzon. 1998. "Predictors of Violent or Serious Delinquency in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: A Synthesis of Longitudinal Research." In Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders, edited by D. P. Farrington and R. Loeber, 86–105. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452243740.n6.
Murray, J., and D. P. Farrington. 2008. "The Effects of Parental Imprisonment on Children." In Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, edited by M. Tonry, 136–206. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.1086/520070.
Myers, B., T. Smarsh, K. Hagen, and S. Kennon. 1999. "Children of Incarcerated Mothers." Journal of Child and Family Studies 8: 11–25. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022990410036.
Petrović, V., and G. Jovanić. 2019a. "Zakonska i Institucionalna Podrška Deci Osuđenih Roditelja." In Zbornik Radova sa Nacionalnog Naučnog Skupa Edukativna i Rehabilitaciona Podrška Detetu, Porodici i Instituciji, edited by F. Eminović and J. Maksić, 119–125. Beograd: Univerzitet u Beogradu – Fakultet za Specijalnu Edukaciju i Rehabilitaciju.
Petrović, V., and G. Jovanić. 2019b. "Marginalizacija Dece kao Posledica Inkarceracije Roditelja." In Zbornik Radova Četrvrte Međunarodne Naučne Konferencije Društvene Devijacije, Položaj Marginalizovanih Grupa u Društvu, edited by J. Petrović and G. Jovanić, 201–212. Banja Luka: Centar Modernih Znanja.
Phillips, S. D., and T. Gates. 2011. "A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Stigmatization of Children of Incarcerated Parents." Journal of Child and Family Studies 20 (3): 286–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-010-9391-6.
Poehlmann, J., D. Dallaire, A. Booker, and L. D. Shear. 2010. "Children’s Contact with Their Incarcerated Parents: Research Findings and Recommendations." American Psychologist 65 (6): 576–598. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020279.
Poehlmann, J., and J. M. Eddy. 2013. "Introduction and Conceptual Overview." In Relationship Processes and Resilience in Children with Incarcerated Parents, edited by J. Poehlmann and J. M. Eddy, 1–6. Chichester, England: Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/mono.12017.
Poehlmann, P., J. Park, J. A. Bouffiou, J. R. Shlafer, and E. Hahn. 2008. "Representations of Family Relationships in Children Living with Custodial Grandparents." Attachment & Human Development 10 (2): 165–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616730802113695.
Poehlmann-Tynan, J., H. Runion, C. Burnson, L. Maleck, L. Weymouth, K. Pettit, and M. Huser. 2015. "Young Children’s Behavioral and Emotional Reactions to Plexiglas and Video Visits with Jailed Parents." In Children’s Contact with Incarcerated Parents, edited by J. Poehlmann-Tynan, 39–58. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16625-4_3.
Pucarević, B., and Lj. Skrobić. 2021a. "Kontakti Dece sa Roditeljima Lišenim Slobode." Godišnjak za Pedagogiju 6 (1): 63–73. https://doi.org/10.46630/gped.1.2021.5.
Pucarević, B., and Lj. Skrobić. 2021b. "Kontakti Dece sa Roditeljima Lišenim Slobode – Izazovi Tokom Pandemije KOVID-19." Socijalna Politika 2: 89–102. https://doi.org/10.22182/sp.22021.5.
Purvis, M. 2011. "Paternal Incarceration and Parenting Programs in Prison: A Review Paper." Psychiatry Psychology and Law 20 (1): 9–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2011.615822.
Rosenberg, J. 2009. Children Need Dads Too: Children with Fathers in Prison. Geneva: Quaker United Nations Office.
Saunders, V. 2016. "Children of Prisoners: Children’s Decision Making About Contact." Child and Family Social Work 22 (S2): 63–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12281.
Shlafer, J. R., L. A. Booker, and L. A. Schillmoeller. 2015. "Introduction and Literature Review. Is Parent-Child Contact During Parental Incarceration Beneficial?" In Children with Incarcerated Parents, edited by J. Poehlmann-Tynan, 1–21. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16625-4_1.
Shlafer, J. R., L. Davis, and D. H. Dallaire. 2019. "Parental Incarceration During Middle Childhood and Adolescence." In Handbook on Children with Incarcerated Parents: Research, Policy, and Practice, edited by J. M. Eddy and J. Poehlmann-Tynan, 100–116. Springer Nature Switzerland AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16707-3_8.
Shlafer, J. R., and J. Poehlmann. 2010. "Attachment and Caregiving Relationships in Families Affected by Parental Incarceration." Attachment & Human Development 12: 395–415. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616730903417052.
Woodall, J., and K. Kinsella. 2018. "Striving for a ‘Good’ Family Visit: The Facilitative Role of a Prison Visitors’ Centre." Journal of Criminal Psychology 8 (1): 33–43. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-03-2017-0011.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Violeta Đorđević, Miroslav Brkić
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, allowing others to share the work with proper attribution to the authors and acknowledgment of its original publication in this journal.
