Advocating for an Incarcerated Informed Lens in Therapy

• Date: 01 April 2021
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20975162
• Published date: 01 April 2021
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X20975162

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2021, Vol. 65(5) 631 –643

© The Author(s) 2020

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20975162

journals.sagepub.com/home/ijo

Article

Advocating for an

Incarcerated Informed

Lens in Therapy

Eman Tadros1, Rayna Hutcherson2,

and Aubrey Greene2

Abstract

Exceptionally high rates of incarceration in the United States have caused a need for

a major social justice movement. This paper explains the various collateral damages

endured by the incarcerated population. Several research studies related to the

unintended consequences of incarceration on outcomes related to couple and family

relationships, racial disparities, employment, poverty and public health are examined.

The importance of individual, couple, and family therapy and its effectiveness toward

improving the lives of those negatively impacted by incarceration is discussed.

Keywords

incarceration, social justice, racial disparities, marriage and family therapy, incarcerated

informed lens

A recent Bureau of Justice Statistics (2018) report illustrated the number of individuals

involved in the United States (U.S.) criminal justice supervision, including incarcera-

tion in jails and prisons. An estimated 6,613,500 individuals were under the U.S. adult

correctional system by the end of the year of 2016. In addition, about 1 in 38 adults

(persons age 18 or older in the U.S.) were under some form of correctional supervision

at the year-end of 2016 (Kaeble & Cowhig, 2018). This those incarcerated in jails and

prisons, and those on probation or parole. This phenomenon of U.S. incarceration has

been termed “mass incarceration.” This term illuminates the excessive and draconian

use of incarceration in this country.

1Governors State University, University Park, IL, USA

2Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA

Corresponding Author:

Eman Tadros, PhD, IMFT, Governors State University, University Park, IL 60484, USA.

Email: emantadros@gmail.com

975162IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X20975162International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyTadros et al.

research-article2020