Motherhood In Prison Case Study

Introduction

A vast majority of women who is incarcerated in U.S. prison systems are mothers of young children. Women inmates, who are in their late stages of pregnancy, will more than likely give birth while incarcerated behind bars (Hanser & Gomila, 2015). Not all penal institutions in the U.S. are equipped with adequate facilities, or prison nursery programs to accommodate incarcerated mothers and their infant. An infant’s bonding time with his or her mother is very critical during the first few months; however, not all prison facilities will allow incarcerated mothers the opportunity to bond with their child due to prison policies (Hanser & Gomila, 2015). Mothers in prison are incarcerated in remote areas where it is very difficult for their children to visit them. This case study will explore the issue of motherhood in prison, which is also

are in compliance with the federal rules contained in The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) except for Idaho, Arkansas, Alaska and Utah (Boone, 2015). The Prison Rape Elimination Act requires additional training for correctional staff regarding sex abuse policies, and innovative screening methods of inmates to determine if they are prone to commit sexual assault. The Act also encourages inmates about the importance of reporting sexual assaults to prison officials so the incident could be thoroughly investigated. According to Boone (2015), “A handful of governors told U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder that they wouldn’t try to meet the federal standards, some arguing the law represented federal overreach or would simply cost too much” (p. 5). Statistics from the federal government indicate that approximately 216,000 adult female inmates are sexually assaulted each year; furthermore, it is critical that all fifty states implement the PREA to prevent sexual abuse in prison facilities (Boone, 2015). Government officials have a duty to keep all inmates safe from prison abuse and