Prison Nurseries
In one of my gender and crime classes, we briefly touched on pregnancy and giving birth while under the supervision of the state. The documentary we watched stuck with me because of the sadness these mothers faced knowing they could not be with their children at all, or not at the level they had hoped to be. Some experienced being in shackles while giving birth. Their autonomy and initial bonding post birth are significantly different and often traumatizing. They do not have the same choices as those that are not incarcerated. Being pregnant is a lot for a person to adapt to, especially if they do not have social supports of access to the necessary resources to foster a stable pregnancy. Being in prison can be traumatizing in itself, so being pregnant or bringing your baby back into that traumatizing environment is conflicting.
Naomi Riley’s article “On Prison Nurseries” discussed the complicated nature of programs that are trying to be trauma informed. From the article in 2019, about three to five percent of the women’s population that was incarcerated were pregnant, and in general about half of women incarcerated are mothers (Riley, 2019). Riley’s article analyzed various programs such as one in Indiana that allows women to live in a separate unit of the prison with their babies. These units still have the same rules and infractions. One wrong move and they may be removed from the program as well as their babies. Each program is set up differently, but these moms are still supervised, and they are not presented with the proper time to bond alone with their babies. They have classes and opportunities for socialization, but at the end of the day, they are still incarcerated.
Some argue that these programs can do more harm than good because of the hostile environment of prison for that initial bonding. A lot of these mothers are dealing with the difficulties with postpartum, recovering from substance abuse or withdrawals, or have untreated mental health concerns (Riley 2019). Advocates for nursery programs have seen recidivism rates lower for those that participated in these nursery programs because they are allowed to be with their children. However, some mothers are not able to participate in these programs due to the nature of their crimes, so the recidivism rates may be skewed since it is not a complete representation of these moms (Riley, 2019). These programs are having to evolve due to the increasing number of women incarcerated that are pregnant.
The goal of these programs is to form better relationships for these mothers and their children post birth. Some of these programs did see positive attachment and overall development, however, there were a lot of the babies in the program that experienced declines after some time (Riley, 2019). Due to the instability and stressful conditions, that may add to the babies decline. Depending on the mom and if they are released soon, the babies eventually do get placed in other homes: the other parent, extended family, or foster care. Van der Kolk’s book emphasized the importance of a stable and healthy environment for children in their development. The first few years of life are imperative for forming healthy bonds and overall development, so for these babies, if they are not given a consistent environment, they may have challenges as they grow older (Van der Kolk, 2015). Stability from a consistent caregiver was highlighted for children who have parents who are incarcerated (Riley, 2019). Though for the mothers, that separation can have detrimental effects on their physical and mental wellbeing. General aftercare is not the same as women who are not incarcerated. The physical aspect contributes to mental wellbeing. In addition to any prior mental health concerns or substance abuse history, the trauma both the children and mothers are experiencing from the separation cannot be ignored.
I think these programs have the right idea on trying to reduce harm and traumatic separations for the mothers and children. There is significant room for improvement to make the journey of pregnancy and birth for these mothers more trauma informed. They aim to promote positive socialization and give them education or employment training so that they can leave the prisons with some guidance. However, that period of time they exit is challenging. Most do not have safe social supports and are navigating the hardships that come with a felony. They are also trying to deal with their own personal struggles and overcome the traumas they have experienced. Either way, the babies are being exposed to a great deal of trauma early on. Since these programs are evolving, the effects on the babies and mothers still need to be analyzed after a few years to truly understand the outcomes.
References:
Riley, N. S. (2019). On Prison Nurseries. Www.nationalaffairs.com. https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/on-prison-nurseries
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.