Abstract
This paper provides a review of the existing literature and findings on the issue of the effects of particularly male incarcerations on the imprisoned person's immediate family. This paper further focuses on the issue of the transference of anti-social behaviour to the incarerated person's children and the likelihood that they will be involved in deliquent behaviour. Conclusions focus on the societal impact of this problem and possible avenues of social/institutional assisstance.

From the Paper
"The literature surveyed for this essay agrees unanimously that there is a detrimental effect on an incarcerated person's immediate (and to a lesser degree extended) family. As with many academic conclusions this would appear to be self-evident, a common senses observation. Sociologists are beginning to focus on the subject in recent years to analyse the problem a more empirically provable fashion. With the tremendous increase in incarceration levels that we have seen, particulary in the United States over the last 15 -20 years, the whole issue becomes more and more..."

Tags:inmate, offspring, issues

Abstract
Although the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, a sufficient number of its citizens are living below the poverty line. The paper looks at programs that aid families in financial need and examines whether they do enough to assist needy families. The paper discusses the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANSF), the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Section 8 Housing and Medicaid. The paper asserts that all the social welfare programs which the United States provides do little to offer genuine opportunity to America's poor to escape poverty. Instead, they usually shift families and especially women and children from being poor and on welfare to being a member of the working poor.

From the Paper
"Ruth Brandwein, director of the Social Justice Center, illustrates just how severe the problem of poverty is for American families in her 2003 article entitled "It's Getting Worse for Poor Families." She states that the poverty level seems to be increasing in recent years with 12.4 percent of the population living in poverty, which is almost 38 million people. "The increase in children under 5 living in poverty increased to 19.8 percent" (Brandwein, p. 1). The article discusses the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) , which "provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children."

Tags:needy, poor, assisstance, shelter