Challenge for Prison Mothers: loss of their maternal identity?

– Celine Gurung (Intern)

As of January 2023, the total prison population stands at 82,792 in England and Wales, but women make up less than 4% of the entire prison population. Perhaps the biggest argument remains in the idea that the prison system has been designed by men, for men. The current prison system has been designed as a violence prevention method to promote safety within the local community. However, female offenders are very different to their male counterparts. Statistically, female offenders are less dangerous and the majority of the women entering prison are sentenced for a non-violent crime (see table 1). This calls for a question of whether incarceration is truly an effective form of punishment for non-violent women and whether it is necessary?

The current prison system fails to acknowledge the needs of female inmates. Bloom et al. identified that the issues faced by female offenders are far more complex and their needs are often overlooked and ignored simply due to the disproportionately large number of male offenders. Female offenders are possibly one of the most vulnerable groups in society. Many have a history of abuse, and are more likely to be suffering from mental health problems and trauma (see table 1), which can be further aggravated by the prison conditions. 

Additionally, many women in prison are mothers, and the separation caused by imprisonment can have devastating effects. Years of research shows that parental imprisonment can have lasting negative effects on children. Though, it is also important to remember that imprisonment can also have irreparable effects on the mother as they also face a disruption in their maternal identity. 

 

Table 1: Social characteristics of Female and Male Prisoners

 

 

	Women	Men
Entered prison to serve a sentence for a non-violent offence	68%	60%
Have experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse	53%	27%
Committed their offence in order to support the drug use of someone else	48%	22%
Have attempted suicide at some point	46%	21%
Have spent time in local authority care	31%	24%
Have symptoms indicative of psychosis	25%	15%
Have no previous convictions/cautions	23%	14%
Have mental health problems	76%	51%
Note. Adapted from Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile: January 2023.

In England and Wales, there is no official systematic approach currently set to monitor the parental status of prisoners when they enter prison. However, it has been reported that an estimated number of 17,700 children are affected by maternal imprisonment every year. Generally, women tend to be the primary carer of the children, with 66% of female offenders having dependent children under the age of 18. As a result, when mothers have been imprisoned, they are placed at a higher risk of losing custody of their children and the children will be at a higher risk of being placed into care. 

On average, female prisoners are held in a facility that is 63 miles away from their home and many are even further away, due to the lack of prison facilities that are catered towards women. To put things into perspective, there are no female prisons in Wales. Hence Welsh prisoners serve their custodial sentences in England, placing them at a considerable distance from their home and their family. Additionally, prisoners may also be moved around facilities for their safety and consequently, force them to be even further away from their homes. For prison mothers, this raises a range of issues as their families may not be able to travel for regular visitation. As a result of their instability and restrictions placed on them, incarcerated mothers may find it hard to maintain their relationships with their children, which can take a negative toll on their emotional wellbeing. 

Furthermore, for new mothers who are incarcerated or those who have given birth whilst in prison, this experience can be especially harrowing (as highlighted in “Pregnant Behind Bars”). The inability to care for and bond with their newborn, in addition to the lack of adequate medical care and postpartum care can have lasting effects on their physical. Once more, since the current prison system has been primarily designed for men, it is ill-equipped to address the needs of female prisoners. As a result, insufficient care and support is made available to incarcerated mothers to cope with the trauma of separation, which may worsen existing mental health problems, and the emotional distress can cause them to suffer from postpartum depression. These factors combined can make prison a traumatic experience for incarcerated mothers. 

For many, incarceration may be the first time they have been separated from their children and has been described as the most challenging aspect of incarceration. It is emotionally devastating, and can cause them to experience intense feelings of grief and loss, with many feeling the shame that comes with the disruption of their maternal identity and the social stigma that it is associated with. Consequently, it directly affects their mental and physical well-being; resorting to self-harm and suicide as a coping method. Being unable to experience motherhood and the inability to care and nurture their children causes the female offenders to feel as though they are “missing out” and have failed as mothers. 

 “I called the youngest up once and she started asking ‘Where are you? Why have you gone? And I literally just broke down and cried. And then I kind of tried to avoid talking to her – it was just a stab in the heart every time I spoke to her. And I didn’t want anyone to come and see me.” Roshni, mum.

Quote extracted from Pact responds to report outlining the true cost of maternal imprisonment, Oct 2021.

Again, we need to think whether incarceration is truly necessary for women who have committed non-violent offences. More specifically, when it also concerns a minor. Years of research has shown the negative implications of incarceration on family relationships and child development. Although there are charities and processes have been implemented to maintain those family relationships and to lessen the trauma on the family (such as work carried out by Spurgeons, Barnardos, PACT and family visits within prisons), not enough emphasis is being placed on addressing the trauma faced by prison mothers. 

Those who have entered prison for a non-violent crime often serve shorter prison sentences (less than 6 months). Despite shorter prison sentences, the trauma and disruption faced by prison mothers can be far more severe. We need to recognise that incarcerating mothers for non-violent offences imposes irreparable damage to not only their families, but on the mental and physical wellbeing of these women. Community service has been proven as being more effective at reducing recidivism when it comes to non-violent offenders, and those suffering from mental health problems than imprisonment.  Prison is ill-equipped to address the needs of prisoners who are also mothers. Reducing the number of women who are mothers from entering prison can lead to more positive outcomes on society and can minimise harms inflicted on both the mothers and their families. Thus, alternative forms of punishment must be considered in order to promote rehabilitation, to prioritise the mental wellbeing of female offenders and to preserve their maternal identity.