Prison nurseries: Experiences of incarcerated women during pregnancy

ABSTRACT

The rate of incarceration for women has risen dramatically in the past three decades. Many incarcerated women are pregnant upon incarceration and give birth in prison. Prison nurseries allow women to remain with their newborn babies within the prison for a specified span of time. Evidence suggests such programs increase mother–child attachment, improve parenting efficacy, and reduce participant recidivism. Through interviews with 27 formerly incarcerated women who gave birth while in prison, the present study compares the birth experiences of women participating in a prison nursery program and a group of women giving birth prior to implementation of the program.

KEYWORDS:

• Correctional programming
• female offenders
• incarcerated mothers
• offender rehabilitation
• qualitative research
• prison nursery