Infants raised in prison

[Jennifer]

Yes, you read the title correctly, I said infants raised in prison. I was watching a show about prisons in the US and they started talking about Rikers Island in New York. Apparantly there are a few prisons that have a program that allows women to raise their infants behind bars. New York and Ohio both allow women who enter prison while pregnant to deliver and raise their babies in jail. I previously thought prison was suppose to be a punishment however I now have other ideas. I know many women who would have loved to keep their baby by their side for the first year instead of having to return to work after a short 6 week maternity leave.

http://media.npr.org/programs/day/features/2008/jul/prison200c.jpgIn Ohio, Inmate Mothers Care For Babies In Prison

by Steve Inskeep (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4080709)



Morning Edition (http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=3), August 13, 2008 · At the Ohio Reformatory for Women, a dozen babies are spending time behind bars. Too young to say the word "crime," they are participants in a program that enables inmate mothers to raise their children in their cells.
The program is one of many across the country designed to meet the unique needs of mothers who are locked up. Women are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. prison population. At the Ohio Reformatory, the warden estimates that 75 percent of the 2,300 inmates housed there are mothers.
Only a handful of U.S. prisons offer an in-house nursery program like the one at the quickly expanding Ohio complex, located about 30 miles from Columbus. Only nonviolent offenders who arrive at the prison pregnant or with infants [Read more (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93548405)]

[XXX]

as a former corrections officer, i can tell you without a doubt that the powers that be, do not see prison as punishment. they see it as rehabilitation. They have this whole " hug a thug" mentality. They want to smack these cons on the wrist and tell them to not do bad things again. when i worked for the missouri doc, these people had free cable, free education,free medical care, free workout facilities and had the chances to play video games. not to mention the fact that they could have their people bring in home cooked food on certain visits. they had brunch served on the weekends for a long time, and are even paid to be inmates. YOUR tax dollars go to pay inmate wages. instead of having jobs to do because they are locked up, they get paid to do jobs. they have an inmate canteen, to go buy food in even, so they dont have to eat in the chow hall. they have microwaves in the housing units and even personal crock pots. unless you have seen what these people have and get to do on a day to day basis, your vision of prison life and the reality are most likely completely different. prison is a social country club. no more, no less. i have known of inmates that have committed crimes just to go to prison for health care. these people are spoiled and do NOT do hard time. the mothers raising there children doesnt surprise me in the least. prison is not a deterrent to anything at this point. when people can earn credibility by going to prison numerous times, there is something seriously wrong with the system.

[twila]

I can sure understand your point of view. You have been there, seen it and have the best perspective. I understood the article to say these women were there for short sentences and non-violent offenses. For some do you believe it could possibly help them have a larger purpose in life when they get out other than returning to criminal activity?
So much is said about how inmates often come from such dysfunctional famiiies never having known a loving, family life. If they are confined with their child without the usual distractions of bad influences do you believe they can change when they finally have to be responsible for a child they have bonded with? Besides, the foster care system where many may end up isn't always the greatest. Just wondering.

[DrScreed]

Dang it Twila, I was all over the, it is prison, punishment not to play Susie homemaker!

I guess you are right, these are some of the few ciminals that there may be hope for. If they do not have the distractions of other criminals and temptations, you may be right. ugh!:D

[Jennifer]

So much is said about how inmates often come from such dysfunctional famiiies never having known a loving, family life. If they are confined with their child without the usual distractions of bad influences do you believe they can change when they finally have to be responsible for a child they have bonded with? Besides, the foster care system where many may end up isn't always the greatest. Just wondering.
Some of these mothers already have 2 and 3 kids at home or with other family members. If that didn't change them why would this?

[twila]

Some of these mothers already have 2 and 3 kids at home or with other family members. If that didn't change them why would this?

You have an excellent point. I think it's just so hard to understand from the outside looking in from one who cannot understand the behavior of these women knowing they have children who need and count on them. Kids are our greatest gifts.

[XXX]

this may sound biased and hard assed, but, these people never change. they get institutionalized and want to come back everything and everyone else be damned. why would anyone want to have an infant inside a prison with all the disease and other problems running rampant?

[Believer4Him]

this may sound biased and hard assed, but, these people never change. they get institutionalized and want to come back everything and everyone else be damned. why would anyone want to have an infant inside a prison with all the disease and other problems running rampant?

I can see it from two angles.

One being if the mother is allowed time to bond with the child then returns to raise that child the bonding process might make the mother less likely to be abusive towards the child.

Two being how hard would it be for that child to have one year with it's mother only to ripped out and placed with strangers.

It should be less about the Mother's and more about the Babies. If the mother is a non violent, non druggy, non prostitute and will be returning to the childs life within a short period of time then it might be good. But if the mother will have 3-5 after that child's first birthday it may just be cruel to the child. Either way I think it would be good for both to have a few weeks for the child to have mother's milk and such but it really is a hard call.