ABSTRACT
The psychological consequences of the separation for inmate-mothers include many complex and confused feelings. Regardless of race, mothers felt that their children had developed only one or two problems since their incarceration. The problems mothers cited fall into three groups: physical, emotional or psychological, and academic. Incarcerated mothers may express concern for their children mainly because the prison environment is highly conducive to doing so, but, unless she had lived with her children prior to her incarceration, her expressed concern would seem unfounded and hollow. Most of the mothers, regardless of race, wanted their children to know the truth about the separation. About one-third of mothers on whom data were obtained said that their children were with them at the time of offense. Most of the inmate-mothers planned to live with their children upon release. In terms of emotional reactions to the separation, regardless of race, mothers generally expressed feelings of inadequacy, despondency, and fear of loss of their children.
