Black Fathers and Mass Incarceration: Health Toll

If the dad is removed from the home, that takes away financial support to the family living there. What may not be as obvious is the trickledown effect that going from a two- income household down to one or removing the sole provider from the home has on those who are left to adjust to those life circumstances. In the best-case scenario, both parents were working in the home and there is now one income provider left in the house. If this is the predicament, the remaining provider, usually women, must take on a second job, resulting in less rest, more stress, children left alone, and often, still having insufficient funds required to meet the needs of the family. If things become too much, that individual’s overall health (physical and mental) may begin to fail. High blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and many other health issues fall into place when the responsibility of carrying a family by yourself after the incarceration of the financial contributor occurs (Gifford, 2019). And each of these health issues affects those in the Black community at alarming rates in comparison to other groups. There are some resources available to counteract financial crises, but they are often temporary and usually require a lot of time to secure; time that is usually not granted to the average person to get their affairs in order. Financial stress has the potential to cause a host of other social issues and it is not the only stressor or effect of incarcerating Black fathers.