Prison Nurseries

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From the moment the prison system had to deal with pregnant inmates, the subject of prison nurseries became controversial and it remains as such to this day. Prison nurseries provide housing for inmates’ newborns and allow the inmates to co-reside with their infants for a limited amount of time, giving them the opportunity to be part of their development for at least the first months of their lives. Furthermore, these housing arrangements let them be their children’s primary caregiver (Byrne, Goshin, & Joestl, 2010). While there are groups that advocate and promote their existence, there is also a side that concerns itself with the security risks and liabilities that come with raising infants in a prison setting. Regrettably, these risks and liabilities fall on the infants all too often and by looking at the research, it will be clear that prison nurseries actually end up being more of a punishment for the children than rehabilitative help for the mother.

It is important to remember there are several factors to consider when dealing with the subject of prison nurseries. From the medical costs of maintaining both the mothers and their newborns in prison, to the liability of how a prison setting may hinder the infant’s development, determining the pros and cons it is not an easy task. A five-year study on infants raised in a prison nursery (Byrne at al., 2010) showed that infants can be raised securely attached to their mothers, even in a prison setting. However, this study also concludes by stating that the development of attachment relationship is a fragile one and ongoing. It requires the participation of not only the mothers, but also of the future caregivers. This study also acknowledges that it was limited by the small nu...

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...ildren should not be punished for their parents’ mistakes, and if growing up in a prison nursery is in any way harmful for a child, this is one program we cannot get behind.

Works Cited

Byrne, M. W., Goshin, L. S., & Joestl, S. S. (2010). Intergenerational transmission of

attachment for infants raised in a prison nursery. Attachment & Human Development, 12(4), 375-393. doi:10.1080/14616730903417011

Carlson, Joseph R. PhD (2001). Prison Nursery 2000. Journal of

Offender Rehabilitation, 33:3, 75-97. doi:10.1300/J076v33n03_05

Fearn, N., & Parker, K. (2004). Washington state’s residential parenting program: An

integrated public health, education, and social service resource for pregnant inmates and prison mothers. Californian Journal of Health Promotion, 2, 34-48. Retrieved from

http://cjhp.fullerton.edu/Volume2_2004/Issue4/34-48-fearn.pdf

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