The Families of Long-term Prisoners

Abstract

In 1976 the author made a study of some families of men serving a minimum of ten years in Maine State prison, USA. The sample was not uncharacteristic of long-termers' and lifers' families in Maine and there are reasons for believing that many of the considerations relevant in that study are equally applicable in Great Britain. It is hoped that by pre senting some of the findings of the study, it may be possible to supply practising probation officers with some sort of framemork of guidance within which the few cases of this sort which any one officer may meet can be placed. This article sheds light on a neglected and often baffling area of work for probation officers.