--- title: Use These Studies to Inform Your Work with Incarcerated Dads description: Learn about two recently-released studies that provide an in-depth look at parenting programs in prisons and how they benefit incarcerated and reentering fathers. image: https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/Images/Blog/NFI_Blog_programs-for-incarcerated-dads.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/use-these-studies-to-inform-your-work-with-incarcerated-dads#main) - [![NFI mark](https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI%20mark.svg)FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://www.fatherhood.org/) - [STORE.FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://store.fatherhood.org/) [![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=149&height=82&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=65&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=66&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=89&height=49&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ](https://www.fatherhood.org) - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Show submenu for Get Informed Get Informed - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - [Father Stats & Infographics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) - Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Find Your Stage of Father Inclusion](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-inclusion) - [How Father Friendly Is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Fatherhood Data & Statistics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - [How Father Friendly is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Other Free Resources](https://www.fatherhood.org/nfi-free-resources) - [Talk With us to Get Started](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) National Fatherhood Initiative Blog / [Latest Articles](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood) [incarcerated fathers](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/topic/incarcerated-fathers) # Use These Studies to Inform Your Work with Incarcerated Dads 3 min read ![Christopher A. Brown](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/chris_circle_icon.png?width=100&height=100&name=chris_circle_icon.png) [** Christopher A. Brown ** ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/author/christopher-a-brown) Chris serves as the President of National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI), where he is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of NFI's strategic plan and business model, as well as its operations and fundraising efforts. ![NFI_Blog_programs-for-incarcerated-dads](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/Blog/NFI_Blog_programs-for-incarcerated-dads.jpg?width=453&name=NFI_Blog_programs-for-incarcerated-dads.jpg) Do you work or want to work with incarcerated dads? If so, two recently-released studies can inform that work. Combined these studies provide an in-depth look at parenting programs in prisons. [*Programs for Incarcerated Parents: Preliminary Findings from a Pilot Survey*](https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1412-1.html?) by the Rand Corporation reports on the first step toward in what will eventually become the most ambitious study of parenting (and fatherhood) programs in our nation’s corrections systems. In March and April 2021, Rand researchers surveyed administrators in 43 correctional facilities in five states to pilot a survey that they hope to use with administrators of facilities in all states. This larger study will also include case studies.[*](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/use-these-studies-to-inform-your-work-with-incarcerated-dads#reference) Even though this was a pilot survey with a small sample of facilities, it is, according to the researchers, “the first study to directly inquire about efforts to respond to the distinct and diverse needs of incarcerated parents representing different racial, cultural, and gender identities.” It provides results in answers to the following four questions: 1. What prison-based programs exist for incarcerated parents? 2. What are the key program components, how are programs implemented, and what are the programs’ resources? 3. To what extent do available programs support gender and cultural responsiveness? 4. What are prison officials’ assessments of the efficacy of the programs, and what are their perceptions of the strengths and challenges of implementation? Here is a sample of the richness of the findings (taken verbatim from the report): - Most facilities offer at least one program designed to support incarcerated parents and their children. - Most programs appear to use nationally known—and, in some cases, researched-based—parenting interventions. - Programs support parent well-being and nurture positive family relationships through parenting education; reading, writing, and literacy; and visitation supports. - Few parenting programs offer reentry supports, direct supports for children, mental health supports, education and training, or legal supports; however, these services are commonly offered to residents at some correctional facilities. - Administrators representing more than half of the programs reported that their programs supported gender and cultural responsiveness; however, strategies used for cultural responsivity were fairly limited. - The most commonly reported strength was the motivation of the participating parents. Other commonly reported strengths were effective resources, staff skills, and staff buy-in. - Notably, the most common challenge was identical to the most common strength: lack of parent motivation. Other commonly cited challenges were staff burnout and limited funds. [*The Effects of Parenting Programs for Incarcerated and Reentering Fathers*](https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/opre-effects-of-parenting-programs-incarcerated-reentering-fathers-jan2022_0.pdf) published in December 2021 by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports on the results of a comprehensive review of the literature on parenting programs for incarcerated and reentering fathers. (The review included two meta-analyses of the effectiveness of these programs.) This research brief provides: - A description of parenting programs for incarcerated and reentering fathers, including the populations they serve and the types of services they offer. - Highlights of what is known about the effectiveness of these programs from studies of parenting programs for incarcerated and reentering fathers. - A discussion of how the responsible fatherhood field can use this evidence to strengthen parenting services for fathers with criminal justice involvement. The rich findings from this study include (taken verbatim from the brief): - Programs were most successful at improving fathers’ contact with their child and parenting skills, attitudes, and knowledge. - We know less about impacts on fathers’ relationship quality with their child and impacts on child well-being, outcomes that are central to the goals of parenting programs. - Few studies examined impacts on fathers’ economic stability or financial support of their child. - Although several studies examined outcomes related to fathers’ personal well-being and relationship quality with a coparent, most found no impacts in these domains. - There is limited evidence on programs offered in a community setting, programs that include children or coparents in services, or programs that offer individual services. I encourage you to download and read these studies. They could help you improve your work with incarcerated dads, such as identifying additional components to offer in an existing or new program for this important population. After all, [92 percent of parents in prison](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/the-latest-data-on-incarcerated-dads-and-their-children-might-shock-you) are dads! How familiar are you with the research on parenting and fatherhood programs for incarcerated dads? Did you know that [InsideOut Dad](https://store.fatherhood.org/insideout-dad-programs/)® from [National Fatherhood Initiative](https://www.fatherhood.org/)® is the most widely-used evidence-based program for incarcerated dads? Click [here](https://store.fatherhood.org/insideout-dad-programs/) to learn more about this life-changing program. --- *I interviewed Dionne Barnes-Proby, the lead researcher on this study, and learned that Rand hopes to secure funding later this year to conduct the larger study. 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[Get The Guide Now!](https://www.fatherhood.org/starting-a-fatherhood-program) ![7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png?width=700&height=700&name=7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png) [ Previous ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/course-prepares-east-feliciana-prisoners-for-challenges-joys-of-fatherhood) [ Next ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/how-to-use-a-logic-model-to-supercharge-your-fatherhood-outcomes) ## Related Articles ### [How to Pull Two Levers in Supporting Incarcerated Dads’ Mental Health Image created using Adobe Firefly. As I’ve mentioned more than once in this blog, there’s an opportunity for human service organizations to support incarcerated dads. Corrections ... 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