Abstract
The Erasmus+-funded research project NESTOR dealt with the implementation and evaluation of parenting schools for fathers in prison. The research indicates that there are local but no nationwide services for fathers in prison in Austria. The article presents a sociological perspective on the extent to which both the individual exercise of fatherhood in prison and nationwide support for imprisoned fathers are prevented by the conditions and functioning of the prison system. To this end, we first define three dimensions of involved fatherhood (responsibility, interaction and availability) and then describe the interplay of various structural factors in fatherhood in prison. Finally, we conclude that, from both an empirical and theoretical perspective, the conditions of imprisonment hinder the holistic exercise of the father role. From this, we conclude that parenting schools should be promoted as nationwide projects to improve the exercise of fatherhood in prison in Austria under certain conditions.