ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the main themes of the study are outlined. This chapter focuses on the importance of understanding parents in relation to research on prisoners’ families. We assess the social and political context through which the study of parents of young men has been situated, providing critical reflections on this context, as well as highlighting how the agenda of understanding prisoners’ families more generally has begun to shift. Core concepts and processes such as collateral consequences and family support are assessed, including their application to the study of parents whose children have been imprisoned.
