LAW 596 - Incarceration & the Family

Prisoners come from families. Imprisonment can have a dramatic impact on prisoners’ family relationships, and conversely family relationships can affect inmates’ experience in prison and success after release. This seminar will examine the connections between the aims of the penal system and the preservation or loss of family relationships; existing rights and regulations relating to prisoner contact with family members before, during, and after incarceration; and legal rules that determine to what extent the interests of prisoners’ spouses and children can be protected (e.g., divorce, child support, termination of parental rights). The course should be of interest to students intending to practice in the areas of criminal defense or prosecution, domestic relations, or child protection.