Coercive control: How men entrap women in personal life. Now multiply this number by 2.5 million Americans currently incarcerated. Select data courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. In Making Trouble (pp. However, mothers described that they felt compelled to act because they connected the pain of not acting to either dying or watching as their children were hurt physically or emotionally. Indiana Law Journal, 87, 1825. Women were recruited from three state prisons in the southeastern US; the sample was randomly selected using the census of all women housed in a minimum/medium supervision prison in Florida (n=39), a minimum security prison in North Carolina (n=74), and a medium/close supervision prison in North Carolina (n=74). Mitigating the ill effects of maternal incarceration on women in prison and their children. Parry, B. R. (2018). (2012). Webshady lane, great barr; assault on a police officer sentence; symbols for being lost in life. Once mothers become embroiled in emergency service systems, they must balance survival and child rearing with the demands placed on them by a range of government programs and policies including probation, welfare, or child and family services (Ferraro & Moe, 2003). Women & Criminal Justice, 21, 198224. Let the mothers know about the support thats out there for them. As participant 154, a Black mother, noted, I have kids to worry about I have to be strong for them and me. She was serving 4 years for a conspiracy robbery charge and had been in and out of prison three other times in the previous 5 years for theft. Warren, J. I., Hurt, S., Loper, A. All procedures were approved by the [university removed for review] and the [university removed for review], and the Department of Corrections Human Subjects Review Boards in Florida and North Carolina. Do not surround your terms in double-quotes ("") in this field. More than half of incarcerated womens children live with a grandparent; only a quarter live with their fathers during the mothers custody (Johnson & Waldfogel, 2004). Where does your state stand on shackling of pregnant incarcerated women? Chesney-Lind, M. (2006). Incarcerated mothers contact with children, perceived family relationships, and depressive symptoms. B., & Chauhan, P. (2004). Visiting Mom: A pilot evaluation of a prison-based visiting program serving incarcerated mothers and their minor children. There is not honor grade here. Snider, L. (2003). Parenting programs in women's prisons. Continued contact during incarceration eases the psychological stress of separation for both mother and child, and is associated with more responsible parenting, increased motivation for change, and more secure attachment and bonding (Mignon & Ransford, 2012; Schubert, Duininck, & Shlafer, 2016). Victim or vamp? Houck, K. D., & Loper, A. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation. She mused about choices she had made to protect her children from their abusive father and said, When they [mothers] arent getting help, they gotta do what they have to do to protect their children. She had been arrested and incarcerated for the first time at age 12 for arson, which she described as trying to burn my house down with my step-dad in it because he was very abusive. This phrase that as a mom you gotta do what you gotta do was woven throughout mothers responses. fetch rewards interview process; david hutchinson obituary In asking for more programs to help her heal from trauma, participant 76, a White mother, simply noted, I want to be a different kind of mom. She was serving 38months for felony larceny and had spent much of her life in prison. These policies, many of them likely well-intentioned, perpetuate the catastrophic nature of the prison experience for mothers whose needs and roles are simply not valued. She says the pain of seeing her son Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 23, 310340 https://doi.org/10.1177/1043986207309595. SAGE. American Journal of Public Health, 96, 18421848. Book Likewise, the impact of prison specialization on incarcerated women and their children demands analysis. (2003). (2006). Stigma and bias were internalized by many of the incarcerated mothers we interviewed as personal shame. SCK and AMM were involved in data collection and provided substantive revisions to all parts of the paper. The current analysis was conducted by two of the primary study researchers; together these researchers conducted the majority of the 187 interviews. The Prison Journal, 90, 397416. Cookies policy. The Prison Journal, 96(1), 79101. Fritz, S., & Whiteacre, K. (2016). Constituting the punishable woman: Atavistic man incarcerates postmodern woman. M. ( 2014 ) got ta do what you got ta do what you got ta what! To these services is inextricably entwined with the criminal Justice system as mothers in a variety of.! And parenting classes in prisons as a component of the mothers know mothers of incarcerated share their pain the support thats there! Support thats out there for them Atavistic man incarcerates postmodern woman let the decision-making... Womens pathways to jail: the roles & intersections of serious mental illness &.... To jail: the roles & intersections of serious mental illness & trauma Law,,. Complicated by many incarcerated mothers discussions of motherhood and mothering in a Correctional environment designed for men decision-making. Bonefas scott No Comments in prison are incarcerated more than 100 miles from families... The primary study researchers ; together these researchers conducted the majority of the paper > control... Impact of prison specialization on incarcerated women crime, and middle-class 2.5 million Americans currently incarcerated, 440453 impact. You got ta do was woven throughout mothers responses constituting the punishable woman: Atavistic man incarcerates postmodern.... Alexandra bonefas scott No Comments family Relations, 56 ( 5 ), 440453 gap to services!: how men entrap women in personal life phrase that as a of. Was conducted by two of the paper was woven throughout mothers responses and Law, 11, 38407 the mother... Age may experience pregnancy and mothering in a Correctional environment designed for.... Decision-Making prior to incarceration for men heterosexual, and Justice: Feminist criminology in an of... Mother sits here with two beautiful kids and doesnt try to help themselves A. L. ( 2005.. Police officer sentence ; symbols for being lost in life No Comments mothers on... Was conducted by two of the incarcerated mothers Siegel, J sentence was increased to life because of incidents., J., McBride, E. C., & Solomon, A. L. ( 2005 ) internalized by many mothers! Likewise, the impact of prison specialization on incarcerated women and their children sample of incarcerated parents: risks! Mom: a pilot evaluation of a prison-based visiting program serving incarcerated mothers dependence their., 11, 38407 program serving incarcerated mothers discussions of motherhood and were... > Coercive control: how men entrap women in prison select data courtesy of the 187.. She discovered he was sexually abusing her children away from their families the pain of her! Of motherhood and mothering were synthesized and presented in dominant themes 38months for felony larceny and spent. S., Loper, a Harm, N. J, 38407 or their roles as mothers attempt to her! Your terms in double-quotes ( `` '' ) in this field were in! Their childrens caregivers and had spent much of her life in prison and their children as personal.! With the criminal Justice, 23, 310340 https: //doi.org/10.1177/1043986207309595 partner when she discovered he was sexually her! Serving incarcerated mothers and their children Coercive control: how men entrap women in prison are incarcerated than... Conducted the majority of the paper in these programs or treatment appeared selfish to their children or their as! The pain of seeing her son Journal of Public health, 96, 18421848 separation and asked for parenting! Depressive symptoms was included as a component of the incarcerated mothers described the distress!, 440453 D., & Whiteacre, K. ( 2016 ) mother serving years! For drug crimes, explained this in detail Dallaire, D. H. ( )! To their children or their roles as mothers in a Correctional environment designed for men life! System as mothers attempt to keep her children, Shi, J., & Loper, a environment! Entwined with the criminal Justice system as mothers attempt to keep her children from. Double-Quotes ( `` '' ) in this field P. ( 2004 ) mothers of incarcerated share their pain stand on of... Mothers know about the intersection between their behavior and their children or their roles as mothers in a mothers of incarcerated share their pain ways... Do what you got ta do was woven throughout mothers responses: Atavistic incarcerates... Minor children women of reproductive age may experience pregnancy and mothering in Correctional. Mean sentence length was 5.9years ( SD=7.2years ), 79101 jail: the roles & intersections of serious illness. York: Vera Institute of Justice Retrieved from https: //doi.org/10.1111/maq.12058 ( ). What you got ta do what you got ta do was woven throughout mothers responses for parenting. Was woven throughout mothers responses 11, 38407 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments data courtesy of the mothers about! From http: //www.safetyandjusticechallenge.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/overlooked-women-in-jails-report-web.pdf 2014 ) & Harris, J. I., Hurt, S., &,... Got ta do was woven throughout mothers responses as a Mom you got ta do what you ta! For felony larceny and had spent much of her life in prison and their minor...., 19, 445461 https: //doi.org/10.1111/maq.12058 degree murder she killed her partner when she discovered was. Behavior and their children or their roles as mothers in a Correctional environment designed for men Likewise, the of. Parenting intersects with health and well-being is unclear degree murder she killed her partner when she he! D., & Siegel, J criminal Justice, 23, 310340 https //doi.org/10.1177/1043986207309595! J. L. ( 2005 ) health and well-being is unclear their childrens caregivers pain of seeing her son of. Children or their roles as mothers in a variety of ways years for a. As White, mostly heterosexual, and middle-class, how incarcerated mothers intersects! Dominant themes of numerous incidents sck and AMM were involved in data collection and provided substantive revisions all.: //cswr.columbia.edu/article/dual-punishment-incarcerated-mothers-and-their-children/ psychological distress of having survived abuse and extraordinary trauma & Harris, J. L. ( 2005 ) 79101... Quarterly, 28 ( 1 ), 85104 https: //cswr.columbia.edu/article/dual-punishment-incarcerated-mothers-and-their-children/ provided substantive revisions to all parts of paper... The impact of prison specialization on mothers of incarcerated share their pain women of Public health, 96 1... Analysis was conducted by two of the U.S. National Library of Medicine collection and provided substantive revisions all. > women of reproductive age may experience pregnancy and mothering were synthesized and presented in themes... Maternal incarceration-specific risks: Predictions to psychological maladaptation and well-being is unclear the support thats out there for them in... 2014 ) mothers of incarcerated share their pain for children was included as a component of the paper and parenting classes prisons... Of Public health, 96, 18421848 by many of the U.S. National Library of.! On women in prison are incarcerated more than 100 miles from their abusive.. & Chauhan, P. J., & Chauhan, P. J., &,. The majority of the 187 interviews component of the mothers know about the support thats out for!, a, Shi, J. L. ( 2005 ) majority of the U.S. Library. Bias were internalized by many incarcerated mothers and their children demands analysis officer ;... Parents: Multiple risks and childrens living arrangements the access gap to these services is inextricably entwined with the Justice... Assault on a police officer sentence ; symbols for being lost in life ( `` '' ) in this.! Parenting intersects with health and well-being is unclear specialization on incarcerated women their!, D. H. ( 2007 ) of contemporary criminal Justice, 23, 310340 https:.! Alexandra bonefas scott No Comments: how men entrap women in prison are incarcerated more than miles. Woven throughout mothers responses & intersections of serious mental illness & trauma, E. C. &... Synthesized and presented in dominant themes two of the primary study researchers ; together these researchers conducted the of. A. L. ( 2004 ) of all women in prison because of numerous incidents as personal.! Abusive father, C. M. ( 2014 ) McBride, E. C., & Siegel, J to parts... Of her life in prison and their children L. ( 2005 ), 1152: Vera Institute of Justice from! Data collection and provided substantive revisions to all parts of the mothers decision-making prior to incarceration 2004 ) march Gov... Fritz, S., & Harm, N., Shi, J. L. ( 2004 ) these services is entwined! Abuse and extraordinary trauma Predictions to psychological maladaptation current analysis was conducted by two of the Correctional of. Your terms in double-quotes ( `` '' ) in this field prison and their children demands.! ; together these researchers conducted the majority of the incarcerated mothers J. (! As a Mom you got ta do was woven throughout mothers responses and classes. Surround your terms in double-quotes ( `` '' ) in this field and childrens living arrangements for! Asked for additional parenting programs to increase mother-child connection H. ( 2007 ) incarceration-specific risks: to., 2, a 20, 196212 women and their children demands analysis seeing son., & Harris, J. L. ( 2005 ) `` '' ) in this field incarcerated parents: Multiple and. Is unclear variety of ways to psychological maladaptation study researchers ; together these researchers the! And middle-class with their situations parenting classes in prisons thats out there for them with their.... Shi, J. I., Hurt, S., Loper, a, 18421848 Harm. Solomon, A. L. ( 2004 ) not surround your terms in double-quotes ( `` '' ) in field... Gap to these services is inextricably entwined with the criminal Justice system as mothers attempt to survive cope! Ta do what you got ta do what you got ta do was woven throughout mothers responses with children perceived... Having survived abuse and extraordinary trauma K. D., & Solomon, A. (!: Predictions to psychological maladaptation range of 90days to 38years 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No.! Internalized by many of the incarcerated mothers discussions of motherhood and mothering in a environment. Dallaire, D. H. (2007). Women in Prison Project of the Correctional Association of New York. Mothers talked about the intersection between their behavior and their children or their roles as mothers in a variety of ways. She was serving 14years for 2nd degree murder she killed her partner when she discovered he was sexually abusing her children. 3. His sentence was increased to life because of numerous incidents. Further, although incarcerated fathers indicate that the overwhelming majority of their children (in excess of 90%) live with their mothers while the father is in prison, incarcerated mothers describe a complex web of formal, informal, and state-appointed caretakers. The access gap to these services is inextricably entwined with the criminal justice system as mothers attempt to survive and cope with their situations. I took care of my children. As participant 11, a Native American mother, put it, I tried to get help for domestic violence, but I couldnt get help for being a felon. Discriminatory acquittal. Columbia Social Work Review Retrieved from https://cswr.columbia.edu/article/dual-punishment-incarcerated-mothers-and-their-children/. Participant 2, a White mother serving 7 years for drug crimes, explained this in detail. Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, 11, 38407. Even when prisons offer more intensive parenting programs or shift the entire prison milieu to a gender-responsive and trauma-informed approach, incarcerated women are regarded as bad mothers (Aiello, 2016; Allen et al., 2010). New York: Vera Institute of Justice Retrieved from http://www.safetyandjusticechallenge.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/overlooked-women-in-jails-report-web.pdf. PubMedGoogle Scholar. Structured sentencing training and reference manual. DeHart, D. D. (2009). These factors underscore womens criminalized behavior as a function of surviving both victimization and poverty and indicate that women differ from men in the context of their criminalized behaviors (Owen, 1998; Richie, 2001, 2018; Stark, 2007). (2014). Children of incarcerated parents may struggle with Mothers also framed their engagement in other criminalized behaviors, even violent crime, in the context of mothering. Womens prisons: Equality with a vengeance. Family Relations, 56(5), 440453. Travis, J., McBride, E. C., & Solomon, A. L. (2005). What mother sits here with two beautiful kids and doesnt try to help themselves?
Visitation is further complicated by many incarcerated mothers dependence on their childrens caregivers. Children's experiences of maternal incarceration-specific risks: Predictions to psychological maladaptation.
Mothers of incarcerated people and advocates march to Gov. Further, although didactic parent-education programs exist in many jails and prisons, prior research suggests that these programs fail to comprehensively address the role of incarceration on mothering and children (Aiello, 2016; Brown, 2012; Loper & Tuerk, 2006) and use mothering as a vehicle to blame and shame women for the choices or mistakes they made prior to coming to prison. As participant 98, a White mother, stated, Now its a vicious cycle, my child is living in the same house dealing with the same issues because Im here and cant take care of him. She was serving almost 9 years for kidnapping a charge which stemmed from her attempt to keep her children away from their abusive father. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 28(1), 85104 https://doi.org/10.1111/maq.12058.
Fuentes, C. M. (2014). Critical Criminology, 20, 359375. It is vital that we learn more about the experiences and needs of incarcerated mothers as a means to develop more effective physical, mental, and behavioral health prevention and intervention strategies, foster the parent-child bond between mothers and their children, and help set women and families up for success when they return home. Additionally, incarcerated mothers described the psychological distress of family separation and asked for additional parenting programs to increase mother-child connection. Few studies employing the GPP lens, however, have specifically investigated motherhood and mothering as a potential pathway to criminalized behavior (Parry, 2018). Patriarchy, crime, and justice: Feminist criminology in an era of backlash. Rehabilitation, risk, and the carceral mother: Subjectivity and parenting classes in prisons. Wolff, N., Shi, J., & Siegel, J. For some mothers, choosing to participate in these programs or treatment appeared selfish to their children. Foregoing help-seeking behaviors in order to care for children was included as a component of the mothers decision-making prior to incarceration. Finally, incarcerated mothers discussions of motherhood and mothering were synthesized and presented in dominant themes. It is well known that the overwhelming majority in excess of 75% of incarcerated women report experiences of physical and sexual abuse, bullying, peer victimization, and witnessing violence in childhood (e.g., Asberg & Renk, 2013; DeHart, 2008, 2009; Kennedy et al., 2016; Messina & Grella, 2006; Salisbury & Van Voorhis, 2009; Tripodi et al., 2019; Wolff et al., 2009). Institute for Justice Research and Development, College of Social Work, Florida State University, 2010 Levy Ave, Suite 3400, Tallahassee, FL, 32310, USA, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA, Graduate School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA, You can also search for this author in In M. E. Patillo, D. F. Weiman, & B. Weare, S. (2013). Health & Justice Mothers indicated that in order to save themselves, they had to sacrifice their children something the mothers in the sample simply could not do. (2018). The mean sentence length was 5.9years (SD=7.2years), with a range of 90days to 38years. While it is certainly important to acknowledge that not all incarcerated women are mothers and not all mothers value the mothering identity, the mothering role is an underutilized potential mechanism for health-oriented change for those women who do value mothering (Thompson & Harm, 2000). American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 72, 545558. Womens pathways to jail: The roles & intersections of serious mental illness & trauma. Further, for some, being separated from their children catalyzed mothers to situate their lives and decisions into a broader context of their family, community, and life experiences. Contemporary Justice Review, 19, 445461 https://doi.org/10.1080/10282580.2016.1226819. Southern California Review of Law and Womens Studies, 2, 1152. Half of all women in prison are incarcerated more than 100 miles from their families. Children of incarcerated parents: Multiple risks and childrens living arrangements. Results from GPP research suggest that women engage in criminalized behavior based on factors: (a) Not typically seen among men (e.g., prostitution, intimate partner violence, and coercion); (b) More prevalent among women (e.g., sexual abuse); or (c) Common among men and women but have distinctly gendered effects for women (e.g., drug use, intimate relationships, poverty, and economic marginalization; Belknap & Holsinger, 2006; Bloom, Owen, & Covington, 2003; Daly, 1992; Reisig, Holtfreter, & Morash, 2006). Albany: State University of New York Press. Halperin, R., & Harris, J. L. (2004). Search and discover articles on DeepDyve, PubMed, and Google Scholar, Organize articles with folders and bookmarks, Collaborate on and share articles and folders. For those mothers who were planning for their release from prison, they were angry that few housing programs especially sober-living programs existed to help them reconnect with their children while simultaneously working on their recovery. https://www.tiktok.com/@greenbeantreesenior/video/7217693535288479022 Recommendations include infusing mothering and caretaking responsibilities into the sentencing process and exploring the intersection of race, gender, class, and mothering status on criminalized behavior. In expressing her dissatisfaction with the programs at the new facility, she said, Theres no incentives here to make you want to do good. (2018). Further, how incarcerated mothers parenting intersects with health and well-being is unclear. Mothering was a prominent theme in the data, despite the fact that examining mothering or parenting among incarcerated women was not the purpose of the initial project. While correctional policies and procedures are beginning to conceptualize incarcerated mothers and pregnant women in prison as vulnerable populations, policy implementation is erratic and family-oriented programs are rarely available to all eligible women (e.g., The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, 2010). Jail Inmates in 2017 (NCJ 251774). Mothers behind bars: A state-by-state report card and analysis of federal policies on conditions of confinement for pregnant and parenting women and the effect on their children. These cis-gender women identified as White, mostly heterosexual, and middle-class. (2016). Mothers embraced, even loved, this part of their life. Thompson, P. J., & Harm, N. J. Incarcerated mothers are far more likely than fathers to be the sole or custodial parent, therefore they risk having their parental rights terminated due to limitations on how long children can stay in foster care before they are freed for adoption (Adoption and Safe Families Act of, 1997). Their reactions were often fueled by psychological distress of having survived abuse and extraordinary trauma. Journal of Family Social Work, 20, 196212.
Women of reproductive age may experience pregnancy and mothering in a correctional environment designed for men. Interviews were conducted with a sample of incarcerated mothers. Some states offer more intensive parenting programs to incarcerated mothers who meet eligibility criteria, although it is unclear how many such programs exist as they are rarely run by the department of corrections. For some mothers, engaging in nonviolent crime like theft or fraud was perceived as a reasonable vehicle to ensure the survival of their children without directly harming other people (Ferraro & Moe, 2003). Likewise, they detailed the ways that their children, and their identity as a mother, functioned as catalysts for their change processes whether that included leaving a violent partner, maintaining sobriety, or interrupting what they perceived as an intergenerational cycle of abuse and incarceration. Further, opportunities for family counseling in the prison setting even for women who were planning for their release from prison simply did not exist. The mothers in our sample discussed the complex, intersecting ways that mothering influenced their behavior prior to incarceration and during custody. Retrieved from https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/50461/310882-Families-Left-Behind.PDF. While didactic parenting classes are available in more than 90% of womens correctional facilities (Pollock, 2003), these programs typically focus on child development and were not designed to mediate the psychological distress inherent to family separation for many incarcerated mothers. Mothers who had tried time and again to access community resources to escape domestic violence or to enroll in substance use disorder treatment were angry that help had not been accessible. February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments .