The experiences of families with incarcerated members

The study aimed to explore the experiences of families with incarcerated members. The qualitative research used a semi-structured interview in gathering the responses of the eleven participants, which are the immediate family members of the incarcerated individual, preferably the spouse, child or sibling of the incarcerated. Purposive sampling was used to gather the intended participants. The family members should be of low socio-economic status with the incarcerated individual either been released from prison or currently in prison located in Metro Manila only. Content analysis was applied in interpreting and analyzing the data. Results have shown that the family members experienced having life challenges, changes in the family structure and used different resources to cope with the situation. The life challenges include experiencing financial difficulties, institutional obstacles, legal concerns and emotional stress. On the other hand, the changes in the family structure include the additional responsibilities, unaffected/maintained family roles and changes in the relationship with the incarcerated. Furthermore, the resources that the families used in coping with the situation include the family resources and external support. Implications of less specific criteria and more participants for future research are discussed