Parent-Child Programs for Incarcerated African American Fathers: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this manuscript is to examine programs for incarcerated Black fathers and their children. Given the number of incarcerated African American fathers in the United States, few studies to date have examined the theoretical foundations of these programs or the extent to which these programs improve the relationship between the child and the family the incarcerated individual will one day reenter. Results revealed 15 programs involved African American incarcerated fathers; and of these, 10 programs (67%) involved samples of only fathers or male inmates. Approximately 20% of the programs (3 of 15 programs) involved samples of fathers and children with one of those programs involving teen fathers and infant children. Furthermore, one of the programs (7%) involved samples of fathers, primary caregivers, and children. In addition, only one program (7%) involved samples of men and women. Of the 15 programs, nine (60%) focused on improving father-child relationships; two of the 15 (13%) programs focused on improving co-parenting relationships; and approximately four of the 15 programs (27%) focused on improving both the father-child and co-parenting relationships. Twelve of the 15 programs (80%) were successful, as they saw significant improvements in the programs implemented. While there were some minor improvements, three programs (20%) did not see statistically significant changes after implementing their programs. Implications for research are provided.