Dr. Cavanagh's latest article, titled "Examining the Experience of Women in Justice-Involved Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of Familial Incarceration" was recently published in The Journal of Family Issues.
We examined the concerns and resource barriers of women in justice-involved families, including the unique challenges faced by those with a currently incarcerated family member, during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results revealed bimodal concern for, and impact of the pandemic on, their incarcerated family member. However, economic concerns largely superseded concern for their incarcerated family members.
Additional analyses highlighted the financial precarity of families with an incarcerated family member, who reported more housing instability, less access to transportation, greater food insecurity, and more discrimination.
These findings highlight the need to support marginalized families during a national crisis; justice-involved families are more likely to face systemic barriers that may be exacerbated by the pandemic.