A Content Analysis of Statutory Grounds for Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights: The Impacts and Susceptibility of Incarcerated Mothers and Their Children

<p>As the myriad of complex circumstances surrounding incarceration and foster care debilitate the parent-child relationship, the likelihood of legal severance between an incarcerated parent and their child increases. Despite the nation’s mounting prison population over the last three decades, the growing interaction between the prison and foster care populations has received minimal attention in the literature. To date, the influence of the statutory grounds for involuntary termination of parental rights on the legal severance between incarcerated parents and their children has been largely ignored. The purpose of this research is to determine the susceptibility of incarcerated parents to the involuntary termination of parental rights by examining the impact of the statutory grounds based on the legislation of circumstances impeded by incarceration. Using content analysis, this study is designed to examine existing legislation to answer whether statutory grounds for involuntary termination of parental rights have an undue impact on incarcerated parents and their children as a result of the restrictions inherent in incarceration.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Criminal Justice

Year dc:date.available

2011

Author dc:creator

• Duke, Holly Marie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lisa S. Nored
• Wes Johnson
• Hayden Griffin

• incarceration
• parent-child relationship
• parental rights
• foster care
• Criminology
• Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Other Legal Studies
• Other Sociology
• Social Work

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/239

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-1272