Correlates of parental status and attitudes toward parenting among substance-abusing women offenders

This study examined the correlates of loss of parental rights and attitudes toward parenting among a sample of substance-abusing women offenders (N=483). One third of the sample had lost parental rights to a child; these mothers were younger, but had more children, were less likely to have ever worked or been married, initiated regular drug use at a younger age, and were more likely to have been in foster care or adopted themselves and to have engaged in sex work. Higher self-efficacy, decision making ability, social conformity, and childhood problems were associated with less risky parental attitudes, whereas depression, lower education, and non-White ethnicity were associated with greater risk. Services that address the psychosocial needs of women offenders may increase the likelihood of successful family reunification following incarceration.