Letters to Children project: A letter-writing group designed to help incarcerated women develop or reinforce their roles as mothers

ABSTRACT

There are few evidence-based treatment programs for incarcerated mothers with promising outcomes. Recognizing this failure and the neglect of the children left behind, the researchers present a conceptual model focused on mothers in prison. The model, Letters to Children, was developed to help female prisoners reconnect with their children through the process of a letter-writing group. The model incorporates the importance of the gendered experience and employs strategies to empower incarcerated women as they attempt to strengthen their relationships with their children. Theoretical underpinnings, an overview of the model’s components, participants’ feedback, conclusions, limitations, and future implications are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• Feminist theory
• incarcerated mothers
• letter writing
• programming
• strain theory
• women in prison

Notes

Most of the direct quotes included in this next section come from one particular LTC group meeting and may include comments from women who attended only one or only two sessions before discontinuing the program.