• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.89-115
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• 2017

This study aims to provide evidence for supporting the families of people in prison, through understanding their families who have suffered for their imprisonment This research was conducted with seven family members with their spouse, son or daughter, or sibling in prison. The Giorigi's approach of analysis for the phenomenological qualitative research was used to explore the essence of the experiences of prisoners' families. This qualitative research drew five components on the basis of the experiences of prisoners' families : 'Living with the bridle named as the family of a prisoner', 'The pain having to hide from the public', 'Having ambivalence', and 'condemn the sin, but no the sinner', 'Picking oneself up'. The essential subjection of their experiences was interpreted into 'Face life, , with being under a yoke'. The findings suggest that the practical intervention of social welfare is needed to support the psychological, emotional, and social recovery of the prisoners' families.