ABSTRACT
The intensification of disadvantages pre-custody may actually negatively affect the child’s right to a minimum standard of living. Although the children of the mothers interviewed in this research were exposed to certain disadvantages prior to their incarceration, their mothers described ‘coping’ with these problems. Imprisoning a mother will inevitably place additional stress on her parenting skills, and may undermine her confidence in parenting, which may have serious consequences for dependent children during and post-custody. In line with the existing literature, the majority of the children in this research lived in single-parent households with mothers who struggled financially. Health Organization ‘not only affects a woman’s ability to cope but also affects her family due to the multiplicity of roles mothers perform in caring for their children’. Many studies have explored the continued harm of women’s mental ill-health on their children. A mother’s history of drug dependency may also alter how a child reacts to their mother’s imprisonment.
