ABSTRACT
Nearly a half century ago, Clemmer (1950) in his study of the prison community concluded that the lack of contact with the outside community contributed to the prisonization of inmates. He noted that prisonization was an adverse factor in rehabilitation. Today, there is increased attention to the impact of incarceration on the family unit and the problems families face in their efforts to maintain ties with imprisoned relatives. National conferences have explored family needs and problems, and several organizations have been formed to develop information networks for prisoners' families and those who assist them (Schafer, 1989).
