A Study on the Effect of Parental Divorce on the Prison Life of Juvenile Detainees

Purpose This study intended to identify the presence of difference in mentality and resulting aptitude of juvenile detainess and potential causes thereof particularly focused on the parental divorce of juvenile detainess in that the difference would affect the expected consequences of correctional welfare service provided by the reformatory. Methods Juvenile detainees currently incarcerated in the domestic juvenile reformatory placed in Chonan city, Chungcheong-namdo Province, Korea, were selected as the population of subjects taken in this study. Among the entire population, the juvenile detainees from families of divorced parents were distinguished as subjects of this study. Results The influence of parental divorce on prison lives of juvenile detainees was examined. Thereby, the normative attributes of juvenile detainees who experienced the divorce of their parents were found different from those of juvenile detainees whose parents were living together. The level of emotional instability of incarcerated juvenile children of divorced parents was higher than that of those of parents who are living together. Conclusions Relevant and supportive correctional services for juvenile detainees suffering mental disorder were found necessary to secure the welfare of juvenile detainees. Such services, however, have yet to be established. The influence of parental divorce on prison lives of juvenile detainees was also found significant in the perspectives seeing social security networks of our society consists of the families, the basic nodes thereof wherein parents should be cultivated to ensure each family a pertinent governance.