Dr. Melissa Noel, Assistant Professor in Criminal Justice, along with her colleague from the University of New Haven, Dr. Janet Garcia-Hallett, recently had their article, “I Helped Raise Them”: Gendered Expectations of Mothers and Their Children After Maternal Incarceration published in the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice (CCJ). 

This work explores how gendered expectations shape the lives of both formerly incarcerated mothers and their children, especially daughters, during and after incarceration. Drawing from in-depth case studies, Drs. Noel and Garcia-Hallett examine how daughters (in particular) often take on caregiving roles, revealing the intergenerational impacts of incarceration along gender, age, and socioeconomic class status.

Dr. Noel is one of a small handful of recognized experts in the socialization experiences of incarcerated children and their parents.