Legend has it that single mothers raise unproductive children—especially sons. We often hear the claim that most incarcerated men were raised by single mothers. Some men blame their mothers for their destructive behavior and repeated encounters with the law, sometimes for the rest of their lives. But is that truly how formerly incarcerated men see their experiences, or is it simply another accusation placed on single mothers?
I want to hear from people who first got in trouble with the law before age 20 and have had multiple encounters with the juvenile or criminal justice system since then.
Don’t pay too much attention to the title. This survey is open to anyone who was raised in a single-parent household, whether by a mother, father, or another caregiver. Because mothers are often the custodial parent, they tend to receive most of the blame. This survey gives those who have lived this experience an opportunity to tell us whom—or what—they believe contributed to the path their lives took.