NCJ Number
82982
Date Published
1982
Length
220 pages
Annotation
Interviews with incarcerated mothers, their children, guardians, and institutional personnel provide profiles of these families and the mothers' perceptions of the situations confronting their children.
Abstract
The 30 mothers participating in this study were incarcerated in a relatively new and innovative prison serving offenders with a 1-year maximum sentence. Onsite interviews were conducted with 15 children, 7 guardians, 5 foster care workers, 23 institutional personnel, and 21 criminal justice and child welfare workers. Most of the mothers were minority-group members from large families who had married and borne children as adolescents; they were charged with robbery and related offenses, and more than half had used drugs. Public assistance was the primary means of support for 73 percent. More than 90 percent of the 15 children were 12 years of age or younger, and all lived with relatives who found caring for them difficult. All depended on public assistance, and most knew their mothers were imprisoned. Though mothers maintained contact with their children through visits, letters, and telephone calls, they worried about their children's physical care and emotional development. Most imprisoned mothers had not been meeting their parental responsibilities, but were keenly aware of their duties to their children. Because several agencies were involved, child-care needs were fragmented. A review of related literature discusses causes of crime and delinquency, the impact of maternal deprivation on children, and the social characteristics of female offenders. The appendixes summarize the survey information, interview format, prison rules regarding visits and telephone calls, and State regulations on public assistance and placement outside the home. Footnotes and approximately 100 references are also included.