Rebuilding Lives: Using Social Network Analysis to Explore Social Support after Life and Long-Term Prison Sentences

Background:

The United States is the only country in the world to sentence children to die in prison. As of 2016, more than 12,000 people in US prisons had been sentenced to juvenile life without the possibility of parole (JLWOP). Several Supreme Court rulings declared most juvenile life sentences unconstitutional, creating pathways to release for over 1,200 people.

Maintaining close relationships is challenging for any period of incarceration and becomes increasingly difficult over decades. Leaving prison after a long sentence often means returning to a depleted support system, placing a significant burden on loved ones to provide financial, emotional, social, and logistical support.

This study examined the social networks of people returning home after being sentenced to life or a long period in prison starting during childhood (17 and younger). Considering the social networks of people coming home from prison allows us to better understand who supports people in the reentry process and how those relational aspects impact post-carceral success and well-being.

Methods:

Using a cross-sectional social network analytic approach, participants were recruited in collaboration with the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY), a national organization advocating to end of extreme sentences for children. Respondents in this convenience sample participated in a quantitative survey, which included detailed questions about their social networks.

Findings are reported from social network members (N=555) identified by a sample of respondents (N=78). On average, respondents were incarcerated at age 16.1 (SD=1.1), served 26.3 years (SD=6.5) and were 42 years old when released (SD=6.7). Most participants identified as men (84.6%) and Black (67.5%). Their network members averaged 50 years old (SD=16.5), with 53.7% identifying as women and 54.2% as Black. Family members made up just under half (49%) of networks. Over half of respondents (56.3%) included their mother as a network member, while fewer than a third (29.6%) listed their father. Respondents reported high relationship quality and social support with their networks.

A logistic regression was conducted to examine social network member characteristics and respondent quality of life (using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Scale). Additionally, random intercept multilevel modeling was used to consider if certain characteristics of network members were associated with perceived social support.

Results

In the logistic regression, social network member age, race, employment, incarceration history, and number of supports the network member provided were associated with a statistically significant change in quality of life for the respondent. The multilevel model revealed that both the age of network members and size of the network were positively associated with perceived social support.

Conclusions and Implications

A deeper understanding of the composition of social networks among individuals returning from long-term incarceration informs development of holistic, targeted reentry interventions. Effective support for people returning from long-term incarceration, especially those incarcerated as youth, depends on networks that go beyond formal or professional providers. Providing network members with the resources and training to foster supportive, high-quality relationships can improve the complex lives of individuals returning from terminal sentences.