Abstract

The increase in incarceration in recent decades has been particularly pronounced in the female prison population. In a patriarchal society where parenting falls mainly on women, this has consequences for them and their children. This article explores to what extent the individual characteristics of the children, the context in which they are left and the mother’s conviction are related to greater reports of problematic behaviors. Using a representative sample of female prisoners in Santiago, Chile, and through logistic regressions, it is shown that older children who lived with their mother before incarceration and report problems with the person who is left in charge of their care outside prison are more likely to present problem behaviors. These results are robust when considering the mother’s prior risk, measured in substance abuse and recidivism.