Incarcerated mothers' views of their children's experience: A qualitative study in French nurseries

Abstract

Context In France, young children of incarcerated women live with their mothers in prison in specific units called nurseries, up to the age of 18 months. Only a few studies have examined the impact of this environment on these children. This study sought to explore through mothers' narratives how they perceive their children to experience this environment and how it affects their development. Method We used semistructured interviews to collect the perceptions of 25 mothers about their children's experience of daily life in 12 different prison nurseries in France. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to explore the data. Results According to mothers, prison is a sensorially aggressive environment for children that may impair the children's sensory abilities. The children's and mothers' emotional perceptions of anger, sadness, insecurity and imprisonment intertwine. Prison is home for these children, which leads them to establish strong bonds with this inside world—prison staff, other inmates—but to develop reluctances and concern about exploring the outside world. Conclusion The prison's sensorial environment may overlay the sensorial environment created by the mother, interfering with early mother–child interactions and leading to emotional misattunement. The gap between what the mother and the child each feel to be their home, and the social group they feel they belong to, causes pain to the mothers. This could alter their mandate of being a protective shield that could reduce the traumatic potential of the carceral environment on their babies. These mothers' sentences must be reconsidered for the sake of their children.

Are custodial-based mothers and children's units evaluated, effective and aligned with a human rights-based approach? – a systematic review of the evidence

“…2 ). Three specific theories were most commonly referenced: attachment theory, 25 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 33 , 38 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 46 , 48 , 49 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 fundamental human rights and the best interest principle, 26 , 27 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 35 , 40 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 51 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 60 , 61 and gender responsive strategies. 25 , 46 , 55 , 57 , 59

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“…Of the 21 publications referencing attachment theory, 20 suggested that M&Cs were beneficial to both incarcerated mothers and their children, while only one publication 30 presented the counter-argument that a prison environment is not suitable for healthy parent-child attachment or bonding. The reported benefits of M&Cs in terms of attachment theory can be grouped into 3 categories: M&Cs enable sustained contact between mothers and their offspring and enhance the mother–infant or mother–child bond 25 , 28 , 29 , 33 , 38 , 42 , 48 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 Children involved in M&Cs have improved early social, psychological, and emotional development and later life outcomes 25 , 28 , 29 , 33 , 38 , 43 , 46 , 49 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 M&Cs provide mothers with a motivation to be rehabilitated and to shift away from criminal behaviour 25 , 29 , 38 , 55 , 60 …”

“…Children involved in M&Cs have improved early social, psychological, and emotional development and later life outcomes 25 , 28 , 29 , 33 , 38 , 43 , 46 , 49 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59…”

Family reunification after fathers are released from prison: Perspectives on children's adjustment

“…Second, considering adults' perspectives both during and after incarceration offers views on children's adjustment across time and space. Other studies that have examined parent perspectives on the impact of incarceration for children (e.g., Correa et al, 2021; Ogrizek et al, 2021) often focused on the prerelease period alone. This creates the potential of a false dichotomy between “before” and “after” incarceration periods.…”

The Process of Becoming a Mother in French Prison Nurseries: A Qualitative Study

“…Although many studies have explored the physical impact of imprisonment while pregnant, fewer have focused on these mothers' psychological outcomes and experience (Ogrizek et al, 2021;Paynter et al, 2018). Based on these findings and the meager amount of research specifically focused on these mothers' experience of incarceration, we have chosen to explore how the carceral environment, might affect the natural transformation of their identity that women undergo, from their child's conception to its early months of life.…”