NCJ Number
187959
Date Published
2001
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper reports on a study that examined the number of children of mothers in prison in New Zealand and who cares for them in the absence of their mothers.
Abstract
The field work was conducted in two stages. The first stage involved face-to-face interviews with a sample (n=56) of female prisoners in the three New Zealand women's prisons during 1994. The second stage of the project involved interviews with 37 of these women; these were conducted over the next 2 years, either in prison or in the community. The sample consisted of 51 women who had children under the age of 18 at the time they were first interviewed (three of whom were also pregnant at the time), one woman who was pregnant with her first child, and four women who had adult children and grandchildren. Seventy-three percent of the women in the sample had only been in prison for a relatively short period of time (less than 6 months) at the time they were interviewed. Almost two-thirds of the women were single parents, and more than half said their children had been present at the time they were arrested. Over two-thirds of the women had all or at least some of their children living with them before they were sent to prison. These women were caring for 77 children under the age of 18, either alone or with a partner. Over half had children under 5 years old when they were sentenced, including 15 women whose youngest child was 2 years old or younger at the time. Almost half of the children who had been living with their mother at the time she was imprisoned experienced little disruption in their living conditions. These children were usually being cared for by their father, their mother's current partner, or family. Conversely, almost one-fourth of the children had been placed with caregivers whom they either did not know or did not know well. It was not unusual for siblings to be separated. Caregivers shared many of the characteristics of the imprisoned mothers; they were predominantly single or single parents, and the majority were dependent on welfare. At least one-third had dependent children of their own. The primary concern of the women interviewed was to maintain their relationships with their children and families; however, over time, the problems of keeping contact with their children and families apparently increased. This study also addressed the reunification of mothers and children after release and suggestions offered by the mothers for how the corrections system could facilitate the maintenance of imprisoned mothers' relationships with their children. 10 references