Eddy, J. M., Martinez, C. R., & Burraston, B. (2013). A randomized controlled trial of a parent management training program for incarcerated parents: Proximal impacts. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 78(3), 75–93. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43773256

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 359

Population:

• Age — Not specified
• Race/Ethnicity — 59% White, 13% African American, 11% Multiracial, 8% Latino, and 8% Native American
• Gender — 55% Female and 45% Male
• Status — Participants were incarcerated parents.

Location/Institution: Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) and Pathfinders of Oregon

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Kjellstrand et al. (2012). The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of Parenting Inside Out (PIO) on incarcerated parents and their families. Participants were randomized into either PIO or a service-as-usual condition. Measures utilized include administrative data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results indicate that PIO appears to have a significant impact on incarcerated parents while in prison in three areas of particular importance: parent adjustment, parent–caregiver relationships, and parenting. Some of these effects were main effects of the intervention, whereas others were interactions between the intervention and baseline levels of a given outcome. In the case of interactions, PIO appeared to impact the parents who most needed the intervention, and had little impact on those in less need. Limitations include that child behavior outcomes were not reported, lack of generalizability of the findings due to geography and population, and lack of follow-up.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: None.

Borja, S., Nurius, P., & Eddy, J. M. (2015). Adversity across the life course of incarcerated parents: Gender differences. Journal of Forensic Social Work, 5(1–3), 167–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/1936928X.2015.1093992

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 357

Population:

• Age — Not specified
• Race/Ethnicity — 59% White, 13% African American, 11% Multiracial, 8% Latino, and 8% Native American
• Gender — 50% Female
• Status — Participants were incarcerated parents.

Location/Institution: Four minimum- or medium-security-level Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Kjellstrand et al. (2012). The purpose of the study was to examine differences between incarcerated mothers and fathers in their exposures to adversities across the life course. Participants were randomized into either Parenting Inside Out (PIO) or a service-as-usual condition. Measures utilized include administrative data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results indicate that there is an accumulation of adversities across the life course of incarcerated parents, with similar patterns of exposure between mothers and fathers in their families of origin. Findings reveal gender differences around early systems involvement as well as adult adversities that warrant further consideration. Limitations include that child behavior outcomes were not reported, the variety of adversities at each point in the life course were not assessed, and the lack of generalizability of the findings due to geography.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 6 and 12 months.

Burraston, B. O., & Eddy, J. M. (2017). The moderating effect of living with a child before incarceration on postrelease outcomes related to a prison-based parent management training program. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 87(1), 94–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377317.2017.1248634

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 359

Population:

• Age — Not specified
• Race/Ethnicity — 59% White, 13% African American, 11% Multiracial, 8% Latino, and 8% Native American
• Gender — 55% Female and 45% Male
• Status — Participants were foster parents.

Location/Institution: Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) and Pathfinders of Oregon

Summary: (To include basic study design, measures, results, and notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as Kjellstrand et al. (2012). The purpose of the study was to examine the moderating effect of living with a child before incarceration on program outcomes related to the Parenting Inside Out (PIO) program. Participants were randomized into either PIO or a service-as-usual condition. Measures utilized include administrative data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results indicate that the PIO program shows promise as one component in a preventive intervention strategy designed to ease a person’s reentry into society and prevent recidivism. Overall, participants in the PIO intervention condition had fewer arrests after release than participants in the services as usual control group. Participants in the control condition who lived with their child before incarceration had fewer arrests than participants in the control condition who did not live with their child before incarceration. Limitations include that child behavior outcomes were not reported, the variety of adversities at each point in the life course were not assessed, and the lack of generalizability of the findings due to geography.

Length of controlled postintervention follow-up: 6 and 12 months.

The following studies were not included in rating PIO on the Scientific Rating Scale...

Kjellstrand, J. M., Cearley, J., Eddy, J. M., Foney, D., & Martinez Jr, C. R. (2012). Characteristics of incarcerated fathers and mothers: Implications for preventive interventions targeting children and families. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(12), 2409–2415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.08.008

The purpose of the study was to examine differences between incarcerated mothers, incarcerated fathers, and their families on factors that might be important to consider when creating the content and process of preventive intervention programs. Participants were randomized into either the Parenting Inside Out (PIO) or service-as-usual condition. Measures utilized include administrative data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results indicate that mothers and fathers were similar on a number of dimensions including age, education-level, number and age of children, and family criminal history, but differences were observed on key variables relevant to outcomes for children and families, including employment history and income, substance use, mental health, trauma experiences, and criminal history. Limitations include that child behavior outcomes were not reported, the lack of generalizability of the findings due to geography and population, the study focuses on a subgroup of inmate parents, and the lack of follow-up. Note: This article was not used in the rating process due to the lack of examination of intervention effects being reported in this study.