Linked Lives: The Effects Of Incarceration On Prisoner Families In Hawaiʻi

Abstract

This exploratory study examines how carceral experiences extend beyond the boundaries of prison and impact the families of prisoners. For the purposes of this study, I interviewed twenty family members of prisoners who have extensive and in many cases ongoing familial experiences with the criminal justice system. The sample ranges from the spouses and children of prisoners and also includes unconventional immediate and extended family members. Respondents discuss key coping strategies for navigating the various conflicts that arise and female family members are unequally burdened with expectations for prisoner care and support compared to their male counterparts. However, these women and their families demonstrate remarkable resiliency in the face of oftentimes intersecting hardships. Experiences with addiction, poverty, and violence permeate the lives of this small sample of respondents, illuminating core challenges faced by people in marginalized communities, and highlighting the negative coping strategies of family members embroiled in the criminal justice system. Counter-intuitively, findings show that family members are often relieved when their relative becomes incarcerated, despite the temporary loss of the family member and the overwhelming evidence that incarceration is a highly stigmatizing punishment that severely restricts future opportunities. This exploratory study contributes to the field of counter-colonial criminology by including the experiences of indigenous family members of the incarcerated, offering valuable insights into an oft-neglected study population. The criminalization of indigeneity, poverty, and addiction act as forms of social control that contribute to the further marginalization of some of Hawai‘i’s most vulnerable communities.