ABSTRACT
One of most significant problems confronting incarcerated women in this country is the loss of their loved ones, particularly their children. The court’s consideration of a mother’s criminal act and subsequent incarceration as voluntary relinquishment of her parental rights was decided in In re Jameson. As with the study of women in prison generally, there has been little research to date examining the impacts of the separation on inmate-mothers. Commonalities in findings center on factors such as the prior living situations of mothers and children, attempts to maintain ties with children during imprisonment, planned reunions, the importance of the mothering role to these women, and limited institutional support to maintain mother-child bonds. The general finding that incarcerated mothers attempt to maintain contact with their children has possible explanations. In addition to research specifically dealing with inmate-mothers, other studies have included recommendations calling for closer mother-child ties during incarceration.
