The United States of America has the highest incarceration rate in the world, imprisoning different people by classifying them based on race, age, sex, beliefs religious, etc… (Nicolas 1455) These people behind bars include parents who fail to maintain relationships and educate their children. For incarcerated parents, especially mothers, the biggest punishments and worries are separation from their children and worry about "what's going on." (Flint 717) But the question arises as to what races or types of citizen parents this problem most specifically addresses, and also why it is influencing mass incarceration and future stereotyping in society. My goal in this article is to examine the impacts of the increasing rate of incarceration on the development of children of incarcerated parents (mental health, environment, education, second generation offending, etc...) and how these influence future generations; finally, the motivations behind mass incarceration and the difficulties faced by formerly incarcerated parents. A few hypotheses and questions guided my examination of this problem. First, I hypothesized that the gender of the incarcerated parent would factor into the level of impact. The absence of the mother must be different from that of the father. Secondly, I asked who would take care of the children while the parents were in prison. Third, I hypothesized that ex-offender parents would have difficulty caring for the child after release due to their mental recovery and other difficulties, such as housing, food, work, etc… Finally, what (physical) boundaries , legal and economic) ) play a role in mass incarceration and therefore how it affects children. In this article I will explain my king...... half of the article ...... dy Lewis. vol. 1. Pasadena, California: Salem Press, 2007. 467-473. Magill's choice. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. June 6, 2014.Harland, Alan. “Prison overcrowding.” Corrections. Ed. William J. Chambliss. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Reference, 2011. 205-217. Key Issues in Crime and Punishment. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. June 6, 2014.Nichols, Emily and Ann Loper. “Incarceration at home: Academic outcomes of adolescents with an incarcerated family member.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 41.11 (2012): 1455-1471. Academic research completed. Network. 5 June 2014.Wacquant, Loïc JD "The Great Confinement of the Fin De Siecle." Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Governance of Social Insecurity. Durham: Duke UP, 2009. 126-27. Print.Wilson, Wendy L. “Life After Prison.” Essence (Time Inc.) 41.1 (2010): 108. Academic research completed. Network. 9 June 2014.