Book Review: Children of the prison boom: Mass incarceration and the future of American inequality

• Published date: 01 December 2017
• Author: Lee Ayers
• Date: 01 December 2017
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016817699670
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

Wakefield, S., & Wildeman, C. (2014).

Children of the prison boom: Mass incarceration and the future of American inequality. Oxford, NY:

Oxford University Press. xiv, 231 pp. $24.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-1906-2459-0.

Reviewed by: Lee Ayers, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR, USA

DOI: 10.1177/0734016817699670

It has become apparent, in the United State s, punishment for committing a crime is paid with time.

Following the numbers is a sobering task, and research reveals that the implementation of Tough

on Crime policies construct a haunting reality for the United States—children with incarcerated

parent(s) are often overlooked or forgotten. The trends miss this very important part of the

equation. Society turns a blind eye on that prison-driven trend. Who are the children of the

incarcerated and what are the risks for growing up with a parent serving time? Even Sesame

Street made an attempt to educate the public while building a connection to children through Alex,

the Muppet with an incarcerated father. Alex introduces children to significant challenges faced by

those who do not have a dad at home. Also joining the cast is Lily. Referred to as the hungry

Muppet, she illuminates the issue of children who live every day with food insecurities. In the era

of using educational programming as a tool for access and connection, the two Muppets reach the

young audience with a message; you are not alone!Yet another aspect that is normal izing the

trends of the mass incarceration cycle.

Perpetuated by the intergenerational inequality of mass incarceration, children of the incarcer-

ated face issues only exacerbated by their status. The equity barriers are deepened by disadvan-

taged urban centers, eroding public school systems, and the long-term hurdles placed on the

children of the poor. Deepening the inequality of complexity is the disproportionate representation

of Black men who are incarcerated. The statistical unveiling of the damages done, and what to do

to modify or correct the problems, is a key focus navigated by the authors. Not every child with an

incarcerated parent will produce the same result; however, the research is clear—parental incar-

ceration makes a bad situation worse for children!Additional mental health and behavioral

problems, increase in risks of homelessness, and serious health risks to include mortality are

disadvantages endured by these children. More troubling still is even if the incarceration rates

shift under new policies such as justice reinvestment, the lingering results of current practices are

yet to be understood.

‘‘Children are resilient,’’ the motto carried by many who believe there is hope for what lies ahead.

When digging into the data too often, the realities are glazed over. The well-being of the child with

an incarcerated parent, for Black-and-White children, is demonstrated with significant differences.

Gaps in behavioral problems, aggressive behaviors, homelessness, and even infant mortality top the

outcome list. These difficulties are not temporary. Risks of conflict, abuse, and neglect by caregivers

are also represented in the data. Referred to as the ‘‘kid effect’’ among the concerns are the shaping

of a lost generation that is now becoming of age.

The future is blurred at best. Focusing on serious violent offenders and separating nonviolent

offenders into a different alternative status could lower the incarceration rates of the future. Justice

reinvestment models support this idea as a path to dramatically reducing incarceration rates—focus

on the crimes against people, not drugs or property. Shifting the focus to ‘‘Smart on Crime,’’ the

data-driven model supports time in the community where offenders reconnect and learn life skills.

Promoting and reinforcing noninstitutional behaviors for a more traditional pathway in life. Con-

necting to day treatment and recovery options found within the place of residence. This approach

offers hope for changing the future of the next generation of children; however, the children

becoming of age who have been severely harmed by parental imprisonment pose a new threat to

Book Reviews 421