When a crime is committed, the most common punishment in the United States is incarceration. Over the past few decades, the total number of incarcerated adults has fallen from 320,000 to approximately 1.4 million. In 2007, more than half of incarcerated adults, in state or federal prisons, were parents. The majority of children, who are involved in situations where their parents are incarcerated, have been directly affected (Kjellstrand et. al, 2012, p. 2409). The incarceration of a father has an impact on children, but the incarceration of a child's mother has been found to be more significant. Incarcerated Women The number of incarcerated women is increasing at a rapid rate. This number is growing at a rate almost twice as high as that of men (Dallaire, 2006, p. 15). In addition to being incarcerated, women who have children while incarcerated face even more stressors. The relationship between a woman and her children is at the center of emotions. These women experience guilt, anxiety and a sense of failure. While experiencing these negative emotions, a woman's child is also seen as a source of hope, an internal connection, and a motivation for change. Incarcerated mothers “reported that lack of involvement in their children's daily lives was one of the hardest things to cope with while incarcerated” (Young & Smith, 2000, p. 133). High levels of stress among women in prison are associated with increased feelings of depression. “Depression, guilt, distress, loss of self-esteem, and feelings of loss” are some of the most common symptoms women experience in prison (Young & Smith, 2000, p. 133). Mothers are not able to address the daily concerns of their children the way a mother does...... middle of paper......donors: Factors affecting the quality of their relationship. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15, 581-596. Myers, B., Smarsh, T., Amlund-Hagen, K., & Kennon, B. (1999). Children of incarcerated mothers. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 8, 11-25. Myers, B., Mackintosh, V., Kuznetsova, M., Lotze, G., Best, A., & Ravindran, N. (2013). Relational processes and resilience in children of incarcerated parents: Teasing, bullying, and emotion regulation in children of incarcerated mothers. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 78, 26-40. Nesmith, A., & Ruhland, E. (2008). Children of incarcerated parents: Challenges and resilience in their own words. Review of Children and Youth Services, 30, 1119 – 1130. Young, D. and Smith, J. (2000). When mothers are incarcerated: the needs of children, mothers and caregivers. Families in society, 81, 130-141.