According to statistics made available by the Ministry of Justice in March, “there are about 200,000 children with a father or mother in prison – more than three times the number of children in state care” (Vallely, 4). So what happens to all these children with parents behind bars? Researchers, psychologists, and parents alike have begun to analyze a new solution that has been implemented in many places around the world that attempts to address the many issues that may come out of separating a child from his/ her mother. This solution they have come up with is keeping a child in prison with their mother anywhere from a couple months like in a number of prisons in the United States to six years like in Mexico City. There have been both pros …show more content…
Mentioned earlier was the fact that Mexico City requires children to stay with their mothers in prison and that is true no matter the crime that was committed. A mother currently in a jail in Mexico City is Cecilia Nava Lopez and she is in on charges of causing her stepchild’s death, but even still she is allowed to keep her child that is alive, with her in her cell. The logic behind these laws simply does not make sense when we say we put criminals away to get them away from the general population, but then the justice system decides to allow the most vulnerable part of our population to live inside the prisons with them. Overall my point is not that all women in jail are violent offenders that would hurt children, but rather that there are some that are and without children being safely separated from the general prison population there is no reason we should allowing children to be in direct harms way. Besides from lack of nurturing and potential danger, the last point that I will make regards the children’s health.
The third and final point worth making before I refute arguments made by those in favor of these programs is that in jail inmates lack proper healthcare and when you bring in
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The fact that children have a calming effect on the world around them is true, but they should never be used and possibly abused for that reason. Another argument for children to stay with their mothers comes from Tessa Baradon, a manager of a parent infant project. She says that there is “no “good” time to separate a mother and her baby” (Gale Group). Although she does say that some times are worse than others, the definition of attachment theory in psychology suggests that, “infants need to establish a relationship with at least one primary caregiver in order to ensure healthy social and emotional development” (Hansen- Weaver). This means that even though there may not be a good time to separate a baby and his/her mother, the attachment that a child makes does not have to be to its biological mother, but it could rather be to whatever
caregiver is going to be responsible for that child for a large majority of his/her life. Although this debate could continue on, the pro side focuses on the benefits for the mother rather than the harmful effects on the child and that is reason enough to be against
Overall, the killing of a child is wrong, no matter whether it is in a
California is the biggest state that has the largest prisoners’ population and it was in poverty. The state in 2005, there were twenty-four more new prisons build in California that had an addition houses for mothers. Mother was allowed to spend time with their children while in prison. This would give the mother and her child or children time to bond with each other.
problems, that come from the mother. How can this be? Dr. Verny explains, since the
Approximately 80% of incarcerated women are mothers (Mapson, 2013). On average, the adult female offender is between the ages of 25 and 29. Historically, incarcerated women live with their children prior to incarceration and are the sole financial support for those children. When a mother is incarcerated over 80% live with relatives (mostly maternal grandparents) and about 20% live in foster care. Due to mothers being placed far from populated centers, more than half of mothers will not see their children while they are imprisoned. Women rarely see their children due to the child being in foster care or with family members that do not have the financial resources to travel for visits.
Spending a few days with the newborn, doesn’t give adequate time for the mother to structure any type of connection with the child. The first months of the baby’s life are essential for its progress. In the later years when it’s time for the mother to come home, she and the child are strangers. Not having developed that bond at an early age causes the child to be unfamiliar with its own mother, which leads to long term sentimental and conduct issues.
the first place. There are good parents out there that provide loving and stable homes for their
Today prisons are overcrowded and over two million Americans, male, and female are sitting in jail or prison, and two thirds of those people incarcerated are parents (U.S. Department of Justice). Approximately two million of these children are separated from their mom or dad because of incarceration of which these are the custodial parent. These children suffer from poverty, inconsistency in caregivers, separation from siblings, reduced education, increased risk for substance abuse, alcoholism and incarceration themselves.
The plan is then reviewed by the court. For most children, the primary permanency plan is reunification with their birth parents. According to federal law, states must make “reasonable efforts” to provide birth parents with the services and supports they need to regain custody of their children. However, there are exceptions to this requirement. States are not required to pursue reunification under certain conditions. In these circumstances, alternative permanency options such as adoption or legal guardianship are the goal for these
Even though nearly 100 countries have national laws allowing for incarcerated mothers to stay with their babies, there is still an ongoing debate in the United States regarding policies and laws on how to deal with this
In this assignment I will outline why a child and young people need to be looked after away from their families. There are many reasons why young people and children may need special care and need away from their families. Those reasons may include family breakdown, bereavement, parental illness or incapacity of some kind. They may be linked to behavioural problems or even the child’s own illness. One of these reasons include, abusive parent.
However, the booming number of women in confinement between 1986 and 2006 has rekindle concern in the problematic of mothers in confinement. In addition substance abuse treatment programs have been associated to the progression of parenting programs, “the institution of special visitation areas and programs for mothers and their children, and the reinstatement of childcare in confinement” (Susan C. Craig, 2009).
It is by no accident that children suffer at the hands of the system. For each time a child
There are approximately 1,600,000 million inmates are behind bars in America (Glazer, 2014, para. 11) . Without a doubt, much of state prisons are overcrowded, which can lead to, very dangerous situations and environments. Due to the overwhelming number of inmates incarcerated it is difficult to deal with medical and mental health problems in prison. If most inmates complain about not feeling well or have symptoms, medical condition or disease that is not immediately, they would get some form of medication and get turned life back without seeing a doctor for a proper medical exam. A clear majority of the health care professional that work in the prison systems are very under qualified to work in such dangerous and trauma environments like prisons
One couldn’t possibly even imagine the effect it has on the children of the mothers incarcerated. Studies have shown that children with at
The concept of infant-mother attachment is as important to the child as the birth itself. The effect this relationship has on a child shall affect that child for its entire life. A secure attachment to the mother or a primary caregiver is imperative for a child’s development. Ainsworth’s study shows that a mother is responsive to her infant’s behavioral cues which will develop into a strong infant-mother attachment. This will result in a child who can easily, without stress, be separated from his mother and without any anxiety. Of course the study shows a child with a weak infant-mother relationship will lead to mistrust, anxiety, and will never really be that close with the mother. Without the