Maternal Incarceration and Family Endangerment: A Phenomenological Study of Husbands and Children in Selected Ghanaian Prisons.

Maternal incarceration in Ghana extends punishment beyond imprisoned women to their husbands and children, creating collateral harms that destabilise families and weaken social cohesion. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, this study explores the experiences of families of incarcerated mothers. Drawing on Sykes’ pains of imprisonment, Bowen's family systems theory, and Goffman's stigma theory, the analysis reveals four interrelated consequences: emotional distress, disrupted roles, financial strain, and stigma. Findings show that imprisonment legitimises systemic victimisation, perpetuating vulnerability and exclusion. The study fills a critical gap and offers implications for penal reform, child protection, and gender-sensitive policies.