Caring for those within: caring from the outside
Abstract Millions of families have a member who is incarcerated. Incarceration affects not only the individual who is imprisoned but also their significant others, as those ‘outside’ often end up bearing the brunt of the criminal acts committed by those ‘within’. This article examines the experience...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Discover Global Society |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-025-00168-7 |
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| _version_ | 1849713114514194432 |
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| author | Yvonne Garcia Mary Grace Vella |
| author_facet | Yvonne Garcia Mary Grace Vella |
| author_sort | Yvonne Garcia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Millions of families have a member who is incarcerated. Incarceration affects not only the individual who is imprisoned but also their significant others, as those ‘outside’ often end up bearing the brunt of the criminal acts committed by those ‘within’. This article examines the experiences, difficulties, and challenges encountered by female partners of male inmates in Malta as seen through the eyes of professionals who support families of the incarcerated. Through qualitative in-depth interviewing with professionals from within the public and voluntary sectors with extensive years of experience in the criminal justice field, the study examines the distinct consequences of incarceration on female partners of male inmates as they strive to care for those ‘within’ from the ‘outside’. The challenges faced by partners/carers are multifactorial as they lead to socio-economic and financial strain, psychological and emotional burden, stigma, isolation, and communication barriers which in turn impact the dynamics of the romantic/caring relationship. They also struggle to navigate through the institutional barriers and process of correctional systems whilst also bearing the burden of care and brunt of relational maintenance. Based on the findings emerging from the study, the paper proposes recommendations for future research and improved policy development in the field within the Maltese context. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-edda60fc93644b59a6deaf516258c75b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2731-9687 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Discover Global Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-edda60fc93644b59a6deaf516258c75b2025-08-20T03:14:02ZengSpringerDiscover Global Society2731-96872025-04-013111510.1007/s44282-025-00168-7Caring for those within: caring from the outsideYvonne Garcia0Mary Grace Vella1University of MaltaUniversity of MaltaAbstract Millions of families have a member who is incarcerated. Incarceration affects not only the individual who is imprisoned but also their significant others, as those ‘outside’ often end up bearing the brunt of the criminal acts committed by those ‘within’. This article examines the experiences, difficulties, and challenges encountered by female partners of male inmates in Malta as seen through the eyes of professionals who support families of the incarcerated. Through qualitative in-depth interviewing with professionals from within the public and voluntary sectors with extensive years of experience in the criminal justice field, the study examines the distinct consequences of incarceration on female partners of male inmates as they strive to care for those ‘within’ from the ‘outside’. The challenges faced by partners/carers are multifactorial as they lead to socio-economic and financial strain, psychological and emotional burden, stigma, isolation, and communication barriers which in turn impact the dynamics of the romantic/caring relationship. They also struggle to navigate through the institutional barriers and process of correctional systems whilst also bearing the burden of care and brunt of relational maintenance. Based on the findings emerging from the study, the paper proposes recommendations for future research and improved policy development in the field within the Maltese context.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-025-00168-7InmatesCaringStigmaPartners |
| spellingShingle | Yvonne Garcia Mary Grace Vella Caring for those within: caring from the outside Discover Global Society Inmates Caring Stigma Partners |
| title | Caring for those within: caring from the outside |
| title_full | Caring for those within: caring from the outside |
| title_fullStr | Caring for those within: caring from the outside |
| title_full_unstemmed | Caring for those within: caring from the outside |
| title_short | Caring for those within: caring from the outside |
| title_sort | caring for those within caring from the outside |
| topic | Inmates Caring Stigma Partners |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-025-00168-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yvonnegarcia caringforthosewithincaringfromtheoutside AT marygracevella caringforthosewithincaringfromtheoutside |