“So that They Can See How I Behave as a Father” – Fatherhood in Prison as Double Probation

Abstract

Fatherhood in prison is currently a field that receives little attention. This article shows how imprisoned fathers construct and interpret fatherhood in the context of imprisonment. Based on a qualitative study, the empirical results are presented along four central dimensions of fatherhood in prison. From the perspective of imprisoned fathers, the tension between fatherhood and imprisonment and its associated challenges become clear – in relation to the situation of imprisonment, the relationship between father and child, and normative attributions of fatherhood. Fatherhood in prison is then analyzed and discussed as a situation of double probation.