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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Social Work
Notes
- Abstract:
- More than 2.3 million individuals are incarcerated in the United States (Urban Institute, 2015). Of those, more than 1 million are fathers, with about 500,000 being African American (BJA, 2015; Moore, 2015). This study explores the reasons behind why many African American fathers struggle with reentry, recidivism, and reunification even after participating in prison reentry programs. This study utilizes a qualitative phenomenological design and includes interviews with 10 fathers who participated in a prison reentry program. The study is framed by the Theory of African American Offending, which posits that the recidivism rate among African American men is higher because their worldview has been shaped by generations of physical and mental confinement. The data was analyzed by NVIVO qualitative program software. The thematic analysis identified five main themes: (1) trauma; (2) self-identification; (3) reentry; (4) reunification; and (5) recidivism. Descriptive subthemes of abuse, generational abandonment, caregiver relationships, criminalization, institutionalization, parenting, and post-release environmental factors also emerged. The study’s findings indicate that criminal justice strategies must take into account chronic trauma and its impact on recidivism as it relates to African American fathers. In addition, prison reentry program models could be improved by incorporating a trauma-informed approach to preparing these fathers to reenter society and their homes. The emergence of trauma as a main theme indicated that decades of data that focus on housing and employment may be missing a key aspect of the recidivism dilemma. Furthermore, the findings suggest that there are significant implications for the revision of social work practice, policy, and education as they relate to building collaborative social justice-based relationships with the criminal justice system.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (Ph.D.)--Barry University, 2016.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-127).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Precious Skinner-Osei. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- HV9304.S55 2016_Skinner-OseiPrecious ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- HV9304.S55 2016 ( lcc )
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