Bringing Up Baby in the Big House

The clear intention of of the criminal (injustice) system is to breed more vicious criminals. This can be seen from the effects it breeds. Anything that violates or interferes with this purpose, such as creating and enhancing family and community ties, is a mitzvah, a work of heroism.

These children are not being imprisoned; babies are never allowed to roam free. This is an enhanced visiting day. Anything that enhances a mothers bond with her child is a boon to the child and, multiplied by the number of children involved, an investment that could countless benefits to society.


What this is, is an opportunity for these women to begin doing something good now, while still incarcerated. That's what our penal system needs to build in: power for the inmates to do good.

As someone who has never served time or had their children taken away the only thing I have is an opinion and I offer it up here. I don't think that women should have their children with them in prison. If being pregnant was not enough of a reason to change the path their lives were going down now the children should suffer. I can hear it now...The state put me in prison before I was even old enough to walk that is why I am here. There are so many people out there that use their childhood as an excuse for whatever crimes they commit and don't want to except full responsibility for. This is just setting more people up with a "worse childhood" story than the next person. As a tax payer I don't feel I should have to foot the bill for the next generation that was pre-exposed to the system before possibly commiting a crime or the counseling that will be most certainly be needed. We are as a nation trying to do everything we can to keep our kids out of the system and now someone thinks it would be a good idea to put them there. As I type this I am shaking my head that some where out there someone did a study as our (taxpayers) expense and thought this was a good idea.

I find the whole thing offensive. Women in prison with their babies even for a moment is wrong. This is not a social club for problem people. Babies do not belong in prison and the bonding issue is totally blown out of proportion. There are plenty of qualified people willing and wanting to care for these babies and they can provide a much better environment and not consume our tax dollars.

I question the study that finds that the moms with the babies in prison is better than another alterntive that does not reward the problem women who got themselves in prison. It goes to accountability, it goes to being socially responsible, it goes to paying ones dues.and what is wrong with that. Again, the study. Tell me about the study. Nobody ever knows the facts about these studies and more than that they are never callenged.

Ladies, it is time to pay your dues. Accept your punishment for what ever dubious deed you did that landed you in prison and start acting like mature people when you finish your term. In the mean time I would like an anlysis to be done to see if prison folk are the sort of people that should be with the child. Tell me more about this. Should a person with a dynamic criminal record be allowed to be even near a child while in prison or even after. These babes have committed murder, major theft, molesters, drunks, drug users/sellers. You name it, it's in prison. Yeah, call her mom and let her have her baby in prison. I see the justification.

Signed, Someone who really cares.

Yes

YES thay shoud keep there babys the babys need thim, and to all the wemon gone thught this just keep your head up so that you can get out and take care of your babys you dont want thim growing up in prison .

People need to realize that many prisoners themselves are victims. many live in poverty and are placed in a lose-lose situation in regards to crime. sometimes everything is ???against??? them and hope is lost leading to criminal acts. I think it's great that this program is ???for??? them. it gives them hope that they can succeed in being good parents and person in general. that's the point of this program, to correct their bad behavior by reforming their roles and attitudes. people need to have more sympathy and love for them. On another note, I can't imagine the extent of the positive impact the (up to 18 month) mother-baby bonding has on the children. :-) Lastly, one should take into account the psychological effects of mother-baby separation. Most adopted children struggle with something as attachment disorder or wondering why they weren't good enough to be loved by their birth mother. I do not want to say adoption is wrong because it is great in the right context. But if the mother was willing to keep and take care of her child, it's a shame that the child will ever have to suffer with these issues. And of course, mothers will often go through a severe depression, grieving the loss of their child. I think people who oppose this, need to have more compassion for inmates and think of them as potential positive members of society. if you have never found yourself in prison, consider for just a moment, that maybe some unjust act placed yourself there and then how you would view the program. (let me add that I myself, have never been in prison. I???m a middle class, 24 yr old college graduate. Yet, I have seen the effects of poverty and prison by spending time volunteering in an inner-city community)

Hitting rock bottom does not include having your child with you in prison!!! How will these women ever learn anything if they don't loose everything and fight to get their lives back,if they dont want it back then they won't fight,but i believe if these woman are not going to change unless they have to work/fight to get it all back, If they don't they are selfish cowards who don't deserve their children or anything else!!! We have to make people learn from their mistakes!!! TOUGH LOVE

"If there's no an opening by the time they give birth, they'll have to give up their kids."

Shouldn't this say "If there is no opening..."?

If you are commiting a crime or felone, YOU make the conscious choice to put your needs/wants over that of a baby. I wish we would stop putting criminals rights over that of their babies. I hear about 'my right to have a child", well, what about the CHILD'S RIGHT to have a fair start at life? And how many chances do we give criminals with babies? Two, three??? And at what point should someone intervene when the criminal turns out to be too selfish and commits a crime/felony again? Should we wait till the baby has one or two bruises from neglect/abuse?? NO, we would not give a gun permit to a criminal..no second chance there...so why would it be any different with a child's future. If you cant feed em....dont breed em. You commit a crime while pregnant...that baby should be taken (and spare me your socialist babble, it is socialist attitudes that give criminals more rights than their victims). Should you later be able to show that you can function within the boundaries of society and able to afford a baby....by all means try again...but there should be no social experiments with babies of convicts to see if the mothers will shape up or not.
,

It is a sad commentary on our society that we need these kind of nurseries, but I agree that the baby thrives by being with the Mother, and because research shows the recidivism reduced it is a win-win program. I also agree that classes on child-care are a wonderful bonus for women who have come from homes where their parents did not know these skills and could not pass them on to them. I believe this program should be extended to other prisons because it has proven to be a positive experience for the Mother and the child.

Well your husband was the premise of your encounter with DHS so I figured he wouldnt be off limits. I re-read my post and I did not mean to imply your husband has anything else wrong with him, I only meant to ask if he does. I have ultra rapid cycling bipolar so trust me when i say I know how the thought process can go for suicide.
I am puzzled on how your daughter would remember something from when she was 5-8 weeks old and remember it long enough to have consistant nightmares for years and then too tell you about it 7 years later. Theres just no way a baby that young would have the mental capacity to remember anything from that young. That said I am sorry your child was taken from you in the first place when it should not have happened.

All children are born knowing who there mother is. They need to feels safe and loved with a strong bond with one person who respondes to there need in a way that makes them feel safe. Children taken from there primary caretaker experience strong emotional damage and are in danger of developing emotional damage that lasts for a life time. Preventing children from experiencing the trama of loosing there mother is in the best interest of the child. Remember we are talking about babies under 18 months and mothers who have been carfully screaned and are closely supervised.

Several people have brought up very valid points regarding the LOGICAL reasons children shouldn't be in the prison. I can clarify some of the standard restrictions and safety measures as I worked as a CO at the Washington Corrections Center for Women for a year before moving on to DSHS mental health. The mothers are required to met strict qualifiers, First and foremost they must qualify to be housed in the Minimum Security portion of the prison, no violent or sexual offenses, no offenses for abuse or neglect, they must fully and actively participate in all assigned programs, whether it is AA, living skills classes, vocational or educational programs, and the baby may not stay past 18 months of age. Please note the points in the post by Jody99 @ 05/15/2009 5:10:23 PM. Additionally inmate "babysitters" have to meet the same strict requirements and sign a document binding them to report ANY observed abuse or signs of abuse on the children. Only COs who display good working empathy AND strict adherence to policy and procedure are assigned to work there in order to keep the environment positive and consistent. I was very proud to work with these women as they worked to change their lives. Note: Cojucal visits can be arranged for married, non-violent offenders. Additionally, I'd met only one woman who became pregnant while incarcerated, by another inmate in the County jail.