ABSTRACT

To be a incarcerated parent and separated from your children can awake difficult thoughts and feelings of being powerless and burdened with debt. When it gives possibilities to maintain connections between the parent and child it can make a feeling of belonging and security. Children and families have long struggled with the difficulties created when a parent goes to prison.

The aim with this essay has been to look into how fathers in prison, professionals from correctional institutions and social workers experiences of the connections between children and their incarcerated fathers. We reached our aim through interviews with fathers who had been incarcerated, professionals from correctional institutions, social workers and by literature studies.

The primary conclusion of the essay are that all the respondents considers that connections between the father and child are very important. They also meant that the child’s welfare must be the main cause. To fulfil lasting connections the professionals have to investigate, motivate, support and facilitate all family members.

Keywords: incarcerate, children and parents in crises, fathers in prison