Presentation Title
Maternal Incarceration: Shackling, Adverse Outcomes and Interventions
Abstract
The number of women involved in the criminal justice system has dramatically increased over the years and the system is not equip to deal with the many issues that are coming to light because of it including pregnancy and labor during incarceration. When a woman gives birth while incarcerated the infant is typically taken away within 48 hours, which impedes the formation of an attachment bond. Insecure attachment bonds are associated with multiple negative outcomes such as emotional and behavior issues, decreased empathy and also impacts socioemotional and language development. Prison nursery programs are one method of dealing with the issues that maternal incarceration causes. Prison nursery programs allow the mother and the infant to stay together in the prison and offer services for the women. Research conducted on these programs has demonstrated that they are associated with many positive outcomes.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Ellie Miller
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Second Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Psychological Science
Second Program/Major
Sociology
Primary Research Category
Social Sciences
Maternal Incarceration: Shackling, Adverse Outcomes and Interventions
The number of women involved in the criminal justice system has dramatically increased over the years and the system is not equip to deal with the many issues that are coming to light because of it including pregnancy and labor during incarceration. When a woman gives birth while incarcerated the infant is typically taken away within 48 hours, which impedes the formation of an attachment bond. Insecure attachment bonds are associated with multiple negative outcomes such as emotional and behavior issues, decreased empathy and also impacts socioemotional and language development. Prison nursery programs are one method of dealing with the issues that maternal incarceration causes. Prison nursery programs allow the mother and the infant to stay together in the prison and offer services for the women. Research conducted on these programs has demonstrated that they are associated with many positive outcomes.