The Children of Women in Prison

Abstract

The central focus of this thesis is on children whose mothers are sent to prison. Both the mothers and their children are vulnerable populations; they are likely to have experienced family violence, abuse, drug and alcohol misuse, chaotic lifestyles and disrupted close relationships. In addition, many imprisoned mothers are single parents who are detained far from their families and support systems; this makes the maintenance of relationships between them and their children fraught with difficulty. During the course of this research, 56 imprisoned mothers and the caregivers of the children of 11 of them were interviewed to gather data on how these children and the caregivers were faring while the mothers were in prison and on how the situation could be improved. At a later date 37 of the women, some of whom had been released into the community, were re-interviewed about how their relationships with their children had changed over the time since their last interview and about their current concerns. The results confirm findings from overseas research which identifies the need for programmes and facilities to assist women in prison to maintain their relationship with their children during their sentence. For the successful reintegration of the women into society and the reunification of their families, support and assistance are essential. This support and help is needed by the children, by the temporary caregivers and by the mothers. It is needed both during the period of the mother's imprisonment and after she has been released. Recommendations have been made about policies and practices that are likely to achieve these goals. Directions for future research have been suggested.