Incarcerated Mothers and Community Reentry

• In Event: Gender and Experiences of Incarceration and Reentry

Abstract

Many of the women currently incarcerated in prisons around the United States are mothers, and the separation from their children is difficult and can lead to problems with adjusting to prison life. They often feel guilt and shame, fear losing their parental rights, and have concerns with parenting from behind bars. Incarcerated mothers, in many instances, expect to reunite with their children and resume their parenting responsibilities, but face many challenges in order to do so. Using in-depth interviews with a sample of incarcerated mothers, the current study explores their relationships with caregivers and their children, and their views about being a mother, and thoughts about leaving prison and returning to the community. Furthermore, the current study aims to provide a better understanding of how motherhood might positively or negatively influence reentry experiences and discusses suggestions for useful programming and practices for institutional and community corrections.

Authors

• Barbara Koons-Witt, University of South Carolina

• Amanda Huffman, University of Central Missouri