Forgotten Family Relationships
How Incarcerated Brothers Experience Sibling Support
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19001948 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Estéfani Marín (0000-0003-4876-8484, Lawrence University Appleton Wisconsin United States, corresponding author), K Turney (0000-0003-4642-3490, University of California Irvine California United States), Angie B Monreal (0000-0002-7774-7319, University of California Irvine California United States) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 88 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 23-35 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Marriage and the Family (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-2445 • E-ISSN: 1741-3737 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/jomf.13125 |
| OpenAlex | W4411397040 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 66 |
Objective We explore how incarcerated brothers experience support from their non‐incarcerated siblings. Background Sibling incarceration is the most common type of family member incarceration, with more than one‐quarter of U.S. adults enduring a sibling's incarceration (and, most commonly, a brother's incarceration). Despite the prevalence of sibling incarceration and the importance of sibling relationships throughout the life course, little is known about sibling support in the context of incarceration from the receiver's perspective (or other family members' perspectives). Method We use longitudinal in‐depth interviews with 122 incarcerated adult brothers and 69 of their mothers to explore how system‐impacted families negotiate non‐incarcerated sibling support. Results We find that incarcerated brothers and their mothers describe navigating four types of sibling support: (1) unconditional, intrinsic support to incarcerated brothers and other family members shaped by cultural expectations of family reliance; (2) mediated, reluctant support to incarcerated brothers prompted by mothers; (3) disengaged, infrequent support to incarcerated brothers due to constraints and/or to protect themselves; and (4) absent, no support to incarcerated brothers because siblings have grown tired of their brothers cycling through the criminal legal system. Conclusion We advance scholarship on criminal legal contact and family life by documenting how incarcerated brothers experience support from their non‐incarcerated siblings and highlight the considerable and enduring consequences of incarceration for the entire family system
Brother · Context (archaeology) · Developmental psychology · Family support · Life course approach · Perspective (graphical) · Political science · Sibling · Sibling relationship · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Homelessness and Social Issues · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Law · Medicine · Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |