Abstract

The detention of fathers in penal institutions can challenge their involvement in the lives of their children and this experience can impact these relationships as well as the socio-emotional development of their children in the short and long term. Upon release, the reintegration experiences can be difficult, clumsy, and sometimes lost altogether. This present study explored the experiences of nineteen fathers as they sought to reconnect with their children after incarceration. Through the use of grounded theory and qualitative interviews, three major themes emerged from the data, which provided an explanation of participants’ reintegration experiences. These themes were participants’ ideology of fatherhood, nodal events, and evolving fatherhood values. When corroborated with Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological theory, which was employed as the lens through which participants’ experiences could be understood, these themes provided an understanding of the various factors and processes involved in participants’ reintegration experiences with their children after incarceration. In effect, participants’ experiences could best be theorized as an adaptive iterative process of reintegration, and can function as a basis for ongoing research on post-incarcerated fathers and their children. Moreover, results of this present study has the potential of informing policy makers, family scientists, government, and families about the processes involved as participants made the transition back into the lives of their children and families, and experienced satisfaction and wellbeing and in so doing, also contributed to the wellbeing of their children. The provisions of policies and infrastructures may serve to facilitate a smoother transition for these men. The present study also offered important implications for theory development, research, and practice.

LLU Discipline

Family Studies

Department

Marriage and Family Therapy

School

School of Behavioral Health

First Advisor

Curtis A. Fox

Second Advisor

Jackie Williams-Reade

Third Advisor

Kelly Campbell

Fourth Advisor

Colwick Wilson

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Level

Ph.D.

Year Degree Awarded

2019

Date (Title Page)

9-2019

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Ex-convicts--Deinstitutionalization--California; Fatherhood

Type

Dissertation

Page Count

xiii, 147 p.

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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