Exploring the perceived helpfulness of correctional programs and needs among incarcerated mothers

Abstract

Many of the women currently incarcerated in state prisons are mothers. They have similar programming needs as other women in prison, including education, work, counseling, and drug treatment, yet they also have unique needs associated with their motherhood roles and the relationships they have with their children. Utilizing in-depth interviews with incarcerated mothers, this paper examines the program participation and program needs of these women. Specifically, we explore the perceived helpfulness of available programming and discuss programs the participants feel they need but are not receiving. Our findings suggest that incarcerated mothers identify programming as helpful to them and in their role as mothers that includes traditional parenting programs and programs that focus on substance abuse, mental health, trauma and abuse, life skills, and religious services. Incarcerated mothers in the current study apply knowledge and skills learned in other programming areas such as substance abuse programs and anger management to their parenting experiences, even when these programs do not specifically target their parenting roles. The implications for programming include understanding the ways that non-parenting programs might recognize and incorporate issues involving families and children in their approaches to treatment and programming.

Keywords:

• Incarcerated mothers
• prison programming
• rehabilitation
• children

Acknowledgements

This research was conducted through the cooperation of the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC). The data used for this paper were collected as part of a project funded by the Social Sciences Grant Program at the University of South Carolina (UofSC). The views and statements contained within this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the funding agency (UofSC) or the cooperating agency (SCDC).

Notes

1 The percentages may not add up to 100% since some mothers have more than one child and there may be multiple caregivers.

2 The Department of Corrections permitted research staff to conduct their study in one institution, thus the PI selected a facility that provided the most diverse population of women possible within the system (e.g., custody levels, programming offered, special populations, etc.)

3 The sampled correctional institution for women offered the following types of programming during the period women were interviewed for the study: education programming for literacy and GED preparation, vocational training in welding and office skills, YWCA professional skill program, outpatient counseling, a battered women program, impact of crime program, religious services, volunteer services, pre-release classes, AA, Addiction TC, Breast Cancer Survivors group, HIV support group, dog rehabilitation program, parenting education, parenting anonymous, Storybook project, Words Travel program, pre-release classes, and a clothing program for women being released from prison. Some of the women interviewed as part of our study also spent time at another institution in a different part of the state. Programs offered there include GED preparation, basic computer skills, health science, religious services, volunteer services, AA, battered women program, trauma group, impact of crime classes, reentry program, and recreational services.

4 The corrections department provided a pool of eligible incarcerated mothers to the lead researcher for sampling purposes. Additional information was provided to researchers including source of children data, number of minor age children (under 18 years), number of adult age children, and number of children where the age is unknown.

5 A “known” child comes to the attention of the corrections department in two primary ways. First, during reception and entry new women prisoners may self-report the fact that they have children and/or grandchildren. About 29 of the 53 women (55%) were identified for the study using this type of information. Second, the system can become aware that inmates have children when they come to see them during visitation hours. Only 2 of the 53 women (3%) were identified using only visitation records. Finally, 22 of the 53 eligible women (42%) were identified using both intake and visitation records. It is likely that this process for identifying children of incarcerated women is lower than actual numbers since some women may not want the “system” to know the presence and whereabouts of the children they left behind on the outside, and because women may live too far from their children and may not be visited by them.

6 Prospective study participants met with either the lead researcher or graduate research assistant to complete informed consent and the subsequent interview. Both researchers were affiliated with a university and independent from the state department of corrections. The first author served as the lead researcher on the larger study on motherhood and criminal desistance and the second author served as the graduate research assistant at the time of data collection.

7 Note, two participants did not identify any programming as being helpful to them.

8 To protect the confidentiality of participants, all participants’ names have been replaced with pseudonyms.