PRISON PROGRAMS

Prison Programming to Enhance Mother-Child Relationships

Prison Programming to Enhance Mother-Child Relationships

Introduction

The female prison population in United States doubled during 1990s and is continuing to rise. This increase affected minority women disproportionately, with black and Hispanic females far more likely than whites to be in prison. Two-thirds of women in prison have one or more minor children. By end of 1999, more than 53,000 mothers of minor children were incarcerated in state or federal prisons. This resulted in approximately 126,000 minor children with the mother in prison in 1999, almost double number in 1990. Twenty-two percent of children with the parent in prison were under five years old.

Contact between Incarcerated Mothers and their Children

The majority of incarcerated mothers report regular contact with their children. There are three common forms of interaction: telephone calls, mail, and visits. Approximately 60% of mothers in prison report weekly communication with their children, and nearly 80% report monthly contact (Sharp, 2003). The most common form of contact is through letters. Telephone calls are also common. Visiting is least common method of staying in touch, with only 24% of prisoner mothers reporting monthly visits from their children, and more than half reporting never receiving the visit from their children.

Writing letters to children helps maintain family bonds. However, many of prisoners' children are under age of five. For youngest, letters may not be the effective way to preserve their relationship with their mother (Owen, 1998). Telephone contact is next most common form, with nearly 40% of mothers in prison reporting weekly telephone contact. However, since prisoners must call collect, toll charges may be prohibitive, and it may be difficult for mother to call at times convenient for family. Therefore, the woman is often incarcerated at considerable distance from her family (Mumola, 2000). In fact, most are housed at least 100 miles from where they lived prior to incarceration. Children who are able to visit their mothers are more likely to be able deal with their separation anxiety as well as their fears for their mothers' safety. Furthermore, successful reunification after woman's release is enhanced by ongoing contact (Morash, Bynum, Koons, 1998).

Effects on the Mothers

Separation from children may be linked to depression in mothers in prison. For many of them, maternal role is one of few positive roles available. Self-esteem is decreased by disruption of relationship. Prisoner mothers may try to minimize emotional pain by distancing themselves from their children, further straining relationships.

Mental health services for women in prison are limited. The majority of administrators indicate the need for increased mental health services in women's prisons, particularly programs designed to increase self-esteem (Greenfeld, Snell, 1999). There are also some counseling programs available for women to help them deal with separation from their children. However, screening and assessment of women prisoners is frequently accomplished using instruments designed for men, resulting in needs of women prisoners being overlooked. Few correctional facilities assess need for counseling related to separation from their ...