Parental incarceration and the social-emotional health and development of children

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Significance: Approximately 7% of all US children—and nearly a quarter of Black children—will experience parental incarceration before age 18, placing them at an increased risk of poor social-emotional development. Policy-based solutions that increase the economic wellbeing of families involved in the criminal justice system may offer promise for improving child wellbeing. Individuals with criminal records are less likely to be hired and often work for lower wages and fewer benefits. As a result, parents with criminal records may have fewer resources to contribute to establishing their children’s wellbeing. Some states have adopted policies that limit how criminal records are considered during hiring processes. Protective employment policies could improve the social-emotional health of children whose fathers have criminal records by increasing paternal employment prospects and by improving paternal depression via reduced stigmatization of people with records. Specific Aims: This project will (1) identify the impact of state-level employment policies on the social- emotional wellbeing of children whose fathers have criminal records, (2) evaluate father’s employment status and depression as potential mechanisms through which state-level employment policies affect children whose fathers have criminal records, and (3) assess how the impact of state-level employment policies differs by race. Approach: The proposed analysis will leverage data from two sources: (1) the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort of low-income children in 20 large US cities and their mostly unmarried parents, and (2) state-level policy information on legal barriers faced by people with criminal records. To account for the hierarchical design (families nested within states), this analysis will use mixed effects linear regressions to model the impact of employment policy on child wellbeing. Regression-based mediation analyses will be used to test potential mediators and stratified analyses will be used to evaluate differential policy effects by race. Fellowship Information: The applicant is a PhD student in Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota and a predoctoral trainee on the NICHD-funded T32 training program in Population Health Science. Through coursework and mentoring on policy evaluation, criminology, and mental health along with guidance on communicating findings and writing grants, the proposed training plan will build on Ms. Berry’s existing research skills. This training will enhance her ability to complete her dissertation research and become an independent social epidemiology researcher with expertise on the impact of social policy on child health.