When Dogs Make the Difference: Jail-Based Parenting With and Without Animal-Assisted Therapy

With 1.7 million children in the United States with an incarcerated parent, the need to provide evidence-based programming, which helps incarcerated mothers re-establish healthy relationships with their children, is essential. This study examines Parenting, Prison, and Pups, a jail-based parenting course for incarcerated women, integrated with the use of animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Utilizing a mixed-method quasi-experimental design, the authors examined differences between mothers who completed a parenting course with AAT, compared with those who completed the same course without AAT; statistically significant lower rates of parental stress and higher rates of self-esteem and parental knowledge among the AAT group were found. Based on qualitative data, the presence of therapy dogs appeared to encourage communication, trust, and connectedness between group members. These results indicate the importance of using innovative tools to help incarcerated women, who often have long histories of trauma and abuse, to develop healthy bonds with their children.

Experiences of incarcerated mothers living with their children in a prison in Lima, Peru, 2020: a qualitative study

Objectives: This study explores the experiences of incarcerated women living with their children in the Women Chorrillos Penitentiary, Lima, Peru, 2020. Material and method: Qualitative, exploratory study with a phenomenological design, through semi-structured interviews with inmates who lived with their minor in the prison. In total there were 13 interviews considering the theoretical saturation of categories. Results: The experiences consisted of mostly negative intrapersonal experiences, related to different individual aspects and the conditions of confinement and prison treatment. Serious deficiencies perceived in the health care of inmates and children stand out, with emphasis on mistreatment and indifference on the part of the staff. Other factors involved in the construction of these experiences were identified. Discussion: The results provide evidence of serious structural and organizational deficiencies that violate the fundamental rights of the population group studied. Government efforts to date are partial and insufficient. Sustainable policies and programs are urgently needed that prioritize quality health care and adequate prison treatment for these people with an emphasis on preventivepromotional actions. There is a need for evidence-based interventions to reduce the harmful effects of childhood incarceration.

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SELECTED ASPECTS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN LEGAL FRAMEWORK PERTAINING TO CHILDREN LIVING IN PRISON WITH THEIR MOTHERS – WITH BRIEF COMPARATIVE COMMENTS

This article contains a critical analysis of the South African legal framework applicable to children living in prison with their mothers. It focuses on aspects which the authors believe to be problematic in the legal framework, namely the procedure for the admission of children in prison with their mothers, the separation of children from their incarcerated mothers and the gender implications of the legal framework.Recommendations for improving the current legal framework are made based on a comparative assessment of the South African framework against the relevant policies in England and Western Australia.

Maternal incarceration: Impact on parent–child relationships

Female incarceration is rising steeply in Australia and other high-income countries. The majority of incarcerated women are mothers. Their children represent a particularly vulnerable group, often subject to adverse experiences due to their family’s disadvantaged circumstances involving inadequate housing, food insecurity, poverty, poor health, a lack of personal safety due to violence and resulting trauma. This qualitative study explores parenting experiences of incarcerated mothers separated from their children. Interviews involved 65 mothers in three Australian prisons and 19 stakeholders providing correctional services and support for incarcerated women. Data were analysed using interpretive description. Mothers’ accounts highlighted frustrations resulting from trying to maintain relationships with their children, often exacerbating their separation and compounding parenting difficulties. Two major themes emerged from the data: ‘protecting their children’ and ‘at the mercy of the system’. Mothers described how they tried to protect their children from the consequences of their incarceration, yet many of the correctional system processes and procedures made it even harder to maintain connection. Incarcerated mothers need support in their parenting role. Ideally, this support should commence during incarceration. Further, changes within prison routines could enhance mothers’ efforts to keep in contact with their children, through visits and phone calls.

Effect of Incarceration on Children's Cognitive Development

Imprisonment of parents causes many hardships for children. Children of incarcerated mothers usually experience disruptions in their home environments and child care arrangements and usually also experience social stigmatization. Children who accompany their mothers into prison are exposed to conditions that in all probability affect their cognitive development. This study investigated the possible effects that growing up in prison has on the cognitive development of children incarcerated together with their mothers. 34 children ranging in age between 2 and 4 years participated in this study together with their mothers. 17 of the children (10 girls and 7 boys) were incarcerated with their mothers and the other 17 children (9 girls and 8 boys) were not incarcerated and lived with their mothers in their homes. The incarcerated children were matched in demographic characteristics with non incarcerated children. The SON-R 2.5-7, an individual intelligence test for general application which does not require the use of spoken or written language was administered to measure the cognitive ability of the children. Qualitative data was also collected through informal discussions with the mothers and the prison warders on their perceptions on the cognitive ability of the children. A one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was computed to find out if there was a significant difference between the means of the two groups i. e the incarcerated and the non-incarcerated children. The results indicated a significant difference in performance between the two groups, with the incarcerated children performing worse than the non incarcerated children. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the cognitive development of 'incarcerated' and non 'incarcerated' children.