When a crime is committed, the most common punishment in the United States is incarceration. In recent decades, the total number of incarcerated adults has risen from 320,000 to approximately 1.4 million. In 2007, more than half of adults incarcerated in state or federal prisons were parents. Most children, involved in situations where their parents are incarcerated, have been directly affected (Kjellstrand et. al, 2012, p. 2409). The incarceration of a father impacts his children, but the incarceration of a child's mother was found to be more significant. Incarcerated Women The number of incarcerated women is increasing rapidly. This number is growing at almost double the rate of men (Dallaire, 2006, p. 15). In addition to being incarcerated, women who have children while incarcerated have even greater stressors. The relationship between a woman and her children is the central emotional focus. 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 the lack of involvement in their children's daily lives was one of the most difficult things to endure during incarceration” (Young & Smith, 2000, p. 133). High levels of stress in incarcerated women are associated with increased feelings of depression. “Depression, guilt, distress, decreased self-esteem, and a sense of loss” are some of the most common symptoms experienced by women in prison (Young & Smith, 2000, p. 133). Mothers are unable to respond to children's daily concerns as sh...... middle of paper ...... donor mothers: 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 imprisoned 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 with 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 Young People's Services, 30, 1119 – 1130.Young, D. & Smith, J. (2000). When mothers are incarcerated: The needs of children, mothers, and caregivers. Families in society, 81, 130-141.