July 28, 2007
-
Prison
In the UK, there is a prison that allows a baby to stay in prison with his/her mother if the mother is in prison. Babies are allowed to stay with their mothers until they are 18-months-old.
(This is Joshua-Dylan. He is a seven-month-old who was allowed to stay in prison with his mother). Here is the link: Link Here is the link: Link
There are those that say it is best for the babies to stay with their mother. Here is the link: Link
Should babies be allowed to stay in prison with their mothers?
Comments (95)
No.
If they have nowhere else to go! For the first several months it’s probably better than a European orphanage which are usually horrid.
If they have nowhere else to go! For the first several months it’s probably better than a European orphanage which are usually horrid.
I’d assume if the mother did something to earn prison time, it wouldn’t be very wise to let her keep a child?
That’s an interesting idea — perhaps, yes. I don’t really feel it’s good to separate a baby that young from his/her mother, but is prison a good place for babies, ever?
It depends on the mom’s offense and if she is a competent parent.
I think you really have to treat that on an individual basis…
Wouldn’t it depend on what she did? I mean, if she killed someone, I wouldn’t even let a baby near hers let alone her own.
:/
But it looks pretty good to me…the picture lol.
That’s the shame I think about prison.
It divides people from their family.
I mean if some guy gets sent to prison, he gets torn from his kids, his wife.
What did they do?
yes, you should be able to be with your child.
yes, husband-and-wife should be able to have conjugal visits.
YES.
Sure why not.. Maybe it would help reabilitate the Mom, and it would take up the womans time so she don’t think of Drugs or what ever else she was in prison for..
I think it would be better for the baby too.
Prison seems to be a bad place to have a baby stay, regardless of where the mother is or not. There’s also something about a stay in prison that doesn’t exactly say “competent mother”.
No! That poor baby! The mother may be in jail, but the baby shouldn’t be in jail.
Gee just what I need a crying baby in the next cell. This is pretty darn stupid
…i dont think so…they could give and exception for babies with no one but there mothers…but its still kind of a bad idea…
Really? No one else said it yet?
Pedophilia.
Prison is no place for a child to grow up. And why is it only the mother? Just because of breastfeeding? There are fathers in jail who would love to be able to take care of their children. Equal opportunity or no opportunity at all.
No, because odds are, if a mother is in jail, she isn’t responsible or stable enough to take care of a child. Even being incarcerated for stupid things, like petty theft, shows lack of the responsibility and judgment making skills involved in being a parent.
no
(
i think no matter what, a mother can’t be seprated from its child.
No…
I agree with Anothermadhousewife, if the mother is competent then the baby should be with the mother, otherwise the baby migh suffer.
Kids need their moms, and moms need their kids. But it does depend on what she did. And it depends on the facility and care they have available for the kids.
people in prison probably shouldn’t have kids
Yeah, I think that is fine as long as the mother is able to take care of it. This would also come in handy if the kid is breastfeeding, too.
Um, on the Pedophilia and the fathers should be able to have their kids, Women arent notorious child molesters, no matter the background. It’s just not a big issue. There is no way in hell children should be allowed to stay in a men’s prison. shudder.
Yes, unless the mother has been determined to be a danger or threat and as long as she is not mentally unstable.
I do think its a good thing. The child will be cared for probably better then if the mother were out on her own and they won’t remember the prion but they will remember the care. Ang
It would make for a nice story later in life: “Yeah, when I was one, I was so bad I spent several months in jail. Top that!”
Yes
If a baby were to be raised in a prison environment until 18 months, the baby will be so accustomed to the prison instead of the real world with comforts of food, warmth, and an appropriate shelter. You can’t raise a child in one place and immediately change it, especially when they’re young. I think it’s important for a child to be with their mothers, but if their mother is in prison, how suitable would the mother be, anyway?
In the end, I’m sure it depends on the mother, the baby, and the situation.
I say yes, but the baby should be let out at times to be with fathers and other family and have lots of normal social opportunites. If done right it could be good for both mother and baby.
It depends if any other caretakers of the child isn’t available, or if the conditions aren’t appropriate for the child, or if the child is currently breastfeeding. Otherwise, I think it’s best if a child were to stay home instead of being crammed into a prison :/
NO
I think that would depend on how severe the crime was that the mother committed. Also, I would be worried about the babies safety. But if that could be addressed, then I would say that yeah, maybe it would be alright.
Wow, people are harsh today. I would assume the jail is clean enough, or would hope. And children don’t develop their long-term memory until about 3. I just had a baby, and my baby knew who I was the second he came out. He was looking for my heartbeat. I’m all for fathers and paternity, but it’s the mother that makes the baby and is with that baby until he/she is born. Nobody can replace the mother. And the child only stays until 18 months, when it can handle the world a little better. And we can pray the mother cleans up or whatever to become a good parent. But it would be so much better for the child to not rip him/her away at birth.
No
*thinks of the British women’s prison drama called “Bad Girls”*
It depends on the mother. IMHO, I don’t think it’s the best place for a child…
babies definitely shouldn’t be raised in jail by convicted mother. the baby’s guardian (the ones taking care of the baby while the mother is in jail) should allow the baby be with his/her mother like say…two to three times a week for a few hours. that way, the baby doesn’t have to grow up in a policed environment. of course, it really depends what the mother did. something has to be worked out somehow.
zao_tok
I agree with Pacifism.
I’m thinking that the child should be taken care of someone who hasn’t been convicted of a crime and sent to prison….
No.
And first off, if they did a crime like murder, really, I don’t think the mother should have the child.
Yes, they should. The law sets a limited punishment for a limited offence: why should people think that this is duck shoot where its okay to creatively find ways for that puishment to be added to, for instance by separating mother from child, probablt to the child’s detriment? And – as it’s not stated what the woman’s crime was – from where do words like “not suitable to raise a child” and “peadophilia” come from?
The difference between most people and criminals? Most people ain’t been caught yet.
nutrition.
at 18 months you can have them drink whole milk at pureed food. and at 24 months you can have them drink 2% with fruits and vegetables. and vegetables first, fruits are sweet and they’ll never have vegetables if you do it the wrong way.
no.
“You can’t raise a child in one place and immediately change it, especially when they’re young.”
um, yeah you can.
That’s the shame I think about prison.
It divides people from their family.
I mean if some guy gets sent to prison, he gets torn from his kids, his wife.
What did they do?
yes, you should be able to be with your child.
yes, husband-and-wife should be able to have conjugal visits.
YES.
<LI class=itemtimestamp>7/28/2007 1:16 PM
<LI class=itemsubmitter>PacifismPlease (message)
that’s very alkward. i don’t think so because there might be fights with the other cell mates.
you have 3 links….
and yes, i like that the mothers can stay with their children when those children are so young. but it’s rather sad that they need to be separated at 18 months. how traumatizing for the baby
no because of the trauma that comes with separating them from thier mothers when they reach the age where they have to be removed.
Absolutely!
First of all, is the baby separated from anyone who is in there because of a CSC offense? (Sex offense)..
I mean, if you’re not going to terminate parental rights of felons, and I do think that’s going too far, and there is no appropriate alternative family care arrangement, I think it might be in the best interests of the child to bond with a parent instead of being thrown into the foster care system. I mean, think – in its best situation, the mother is in a controlled environment, away from drugs and alcohol, and might even be able to take this toward a bit of “rehabilitation” to make them realize that a life of crime isn’t what they want of the rest of their days…
But with that, they have to also accept a bit of separation from the general prison population.
And you’re talking about a whole new system of care that would need to be developed by the prison system.
Might work, might not.
Yes, I think the children are allowed to as long as the mother did not commit a crime involving physical violence or abuse.
We must remember that most crimes in the UK by mothers are involving drug crimes. What does this have to do with their children? These are the facts.
It’s funny how others say NO with no reasoning. It’s very blind.
I think it’s a great idea; allow the mothers to learn to be responsible for their children, instead of having someone else take care of the infant while the mother is in prison. Plus, I would think that it gives the mothers more motivation to do better in the future, having to deal with their child everyday.
I guess it depends on what the mother was sentenced for. Also, how safe is it where they’re staying, I mean, are there people who were arrested for child molestation just around the corner? I don’t know much about prisons, so I don’t know how likely it is they would come in contact with someone dangerous. But if it’s safe, then I guess so.
You have stumped me once again, Dan!
I hate it when I don’t have an answer.
Oh God, that’s sad.. And hard for the child.. Wow, I don’t know.
If they’re in prison for murdering someone, then no!
but if there in a minimum security prison for…say insider trading, then sure.
Somehow I think that a mother that’s in prison probably isn’t a good mother. Probably.
Wow, talk about punishment for the person in the next cell…
I think it’s okay for the baby to stay in prison with its mother. It’s not like most of us have memories from around that time? As long as none of the mothers are getting shanked, it sounds like a fair thing to do.
It sounds like the UK has a good plan going.
As long as they’re treated like all babies should, which I doubt since the mother would be limited in how she could take care for the baby…
NO! If your in prision why in the hell would someone find you a fit parent? Good Lord.
Maybe in specific cases but obviously a pregnant woman in jail did not have the childs best interest in mind before going to jail. Most of the women I knew in jail were either there on drug or prostitution related charges.All of the pregnant women that I knew were on drugs at the time they were arrested .
I would have to say that it would have to depend on the crime…
It depends on the offense. Obviously you don’t want to do that with a woman who drowned one of her other children or something. But maybe if it was for something nonviolent.
I am looking at this in two ways. A child’s memory doesn’t really kick in until sometime after two years old. Given that, I think it would be okay. On the other hand, the child could be in danger in the jail AND they didn’t do the crime, so why are they doing the time? Tough call.
Yes, I young child belongs with it’s mother. As long as the conditions are good and everything like that. I say yes! and anyone who says no is probably not a mother?
NO, criminals aren’t the best role models for children, and they could very well be dangerous. Ya think?
I really think it’s a bad idea. In some extreme cases, it might be better for mother and child, but it should not become mainstream.
Good heavens, no! And what’s with all this “if she’s a competent mother” stuff? If she’s such a competent mother what’s she doing in jail?! For crying out loud there must be better options available than that! Doesn’t England have foster homes? If not, why not establish them? For crying out loud, what is the world coming to when this seems like a good idea?
I think it is a bizarre question. The baby didn’t get aborted because dead beat Mom decided for some reason to keep it (Title 19 monthly income???) Dead beat Mom is in jail, lucky baby gets to live in the environment. Who is getting punished?
“I agree with Anothermadhousewife, if the mother is competent then the baby should be with the mother, otherwise the baby migh[t] suffer.” ~cral7616
Word. There are lots of people in prison who shoudn’t be, and during the first years of a child’s life it’s crucial that they have a lot of contact with a parent. However, there are some true pieces of shit in this world who are a danger even to their own children.
The links you gave talk about the UK. “Prison Nurseries” as they are called are also here in the US. I know that as of 2006 New York, Washington, Ohio, & Nebraska have “Prison Nursery” programs. I recently heard that in early 2007 that West Virginia was talking about implimenting the “Prison Nursery” program in their state as well. And just to clarify, with this “Prison Nursery” program, the mother and her child are not in with the regular inmates and the child is definately not in the mother’s cell for heaven’s sake. Part of the program is that there is an area of the prison that is made “homelike” for the children and the mothers to raise their children for a certain amount of time. During the child’s stay there with the mother, the mother is “rehabilitated” such as if she needs her GED they help her get it, if she needs job skills they help her. They make good use of her time there with her child so that when her time served is over she can get out and be able to take care of her child.
Just to clarify what I stated earlier, there are regulations and rules that the mothers must follow going into the “Prison Nursery” programs here in the US. Here is a description of what Ohio’s regulations and rules are for mothers who get into the “Prison Nursery” Program. “In 2000, Governor Bob Taft signed a House Bill that permitted the Ohio Reformatory for Women to establish a residential nursery. Ohio Reformatory for Women employees have observed that mothers who have participated in and graduated from the ABC program are rarely repeat offenders. There are certain qualifications and standards that the mother must meet before she is allowed to be a part of the nursery program. The mother inmate must have given birth to the baby while in Ohio state custody. Having a violent record would disqualify her from the program. The mother must attend family training courses with hands-on parenting instruction, maintain good mental and physical health, be serving a short term, and follow many other specific rules. [4] The nursery program at ORW is housed in a separate wing of the establishment and contains double occupancy rooms for up to twenty mothers with their infants. The wing also includes a recreation area, a laundry room, and the unit’s own childcare center.” from wikipedia.com
A prison doesn’t seem like an ideal environment to raise a kid but at the same time seperating a mother from child and leaving the child without a caregiver, jumping from home to home doesn’t seem ideal either. I guess it just depends on the individual case and whatever option proves to better in the interest of the child.
depends an awful lot on the prison.
I agree with anothermadhousewife.
I can understand wanting to keep the mother and baby together, but I don’t think babies belong in prison.
what if the mom is sill in prison when the child turns 18 mo? It seems like that seperation would be worse than not being with the mother to begin with.
Depends on the charge, depends on if she is a competent parents, depends on if there are any other options for the child.
well, they have seperate units for the mothers with children and the mothers have to prove they are drug free and stable. Plus, because of a childs need to get used to one person in their first few monthes to feel stable and such, this would be useful. Plus, the fact that these mothers get to take care of thier children is less pull on the few parents wanting to adopt, the orphanages, and the foster care systems. Over all i think its a great idea.
And none of the non mothers interact with the mothers and children so i think pedophilia would be not a problem at all….
The best place for a baby is with its mother unless the mother is mentally incompetent or violent.
Depends on why she’s in there.
depends on the mother’s condition
> As stated, in the link, if they have a relative to stay with, great; but babies need as much contact with mom as possible at that age, and I agree with the 18 month age cut, as the wee ones become more sharply observant and imitative…. Also a benefit, there is counseling/councilors available, meaning evaluation of the MOM, which will benefit the child IF said type overwatch is in the councilors mandate! Besides, not all prisons are the same as some hellholes, and I do not recall ever hearing of a prison uprising/riot in the British prison system….
FOR THE KIDS!
Peace
it depends on what the mother is there for. If it isn’t anything major than i don’t see why not but if they did something bad then it is better for the child to go to a good home that will support it for life. Not an unstable foster home or orphanage.
After reading the link I still don’t think it’s the best place for a child. I guess it depends on the prison, the offense, etc… A child needs its mother but what about being outside playing? What about the extended family? What about dad? I just don’t see it.
Maybe only if there isn’t a father to care for the child. I think it should be a last resort type of deal.
No. Thats not quite a good environment for a child to grow up in.
it might be dangerous for the kid.
Mixed feelings.
If it’s a special prison, not just a regular one, then I guess it’s ok.
Only if the prison is particularly safe.