Children and Their Incarcerated Mothers (From Women at the Margins: Neglect, Punishment, and Resistance, P 271-293, 2002, Josefina Figueira-McDonough and Rosemary C. Sarri, eds. -- See NCJ-197190)

• NCJ Number: 197194
• Author(s): Wendy C. Ascione; Joyce Dixson
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 23 pages
• Sale Source: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter describes the programs and services being provided by various organizations for the children of incarcerated mothers and offers recommendations intended to improve such services.

Abstract

This chapter briefly describes nine programs that offer services to children of incarcerated mothers. The services profiled include advocacy and support for such children, legal aid and advocacy for women inmates and families, inmate-run support group for women in prison, special contact visits between female inmates and their children, parenting programs for inmates, Girl Scout activities for daughters and mothers in prison, home visits and assistance with inmate communication with their children, case management, and legal advocacy for female inmates and their children. The authors recommend that the State agency responsible for children's welfare collect systematic information about the numbers and location of incarcerated parents. Further, research should be conducted on children of incarcerated parents, and the role of the justice and child welfare systems in responding to the special needs of women in prison should be examined. In the area of child welfare services, the authors recommend that child welfare services for children of incarcerated mothers be improved and that child welfare services and the justice system provide support for programs that aid children whose mothers are incarcerated. 1 table, 3 notes, and 29 references