Mass Probation and Health
The Mass Probation and Health project explores the effects of probation, or community supervision ordered by a court, on individuals’ and families’ health and well-being. This research included interviews with 170 adults on probation in Hennepin County, Minnesota, in 2019. The interviews collected in-depth information on several domains, including work, housing, health and healthcare access, parenting, and criminal justice experiences. In this presentation, I focus on how probation has affected participants’ relationships with family. The findings from this research suggests that although the average number of family members people relied on increased from before their arrest and at the time of the interview, the participants were fairly divided on their experiences with supervision and family relationships. On average, participants relied on 5 family members, with many stating that they felt closest to their mother, father, siblings, or significant others. Participants also reported negative consequences, including feeling distanced from family members, financial burdens on family members, and disappointment and embarrassment among family members due to the stigma of criminal convictions.
Keywords: probation