ABSTRACT
Poor and imprisoned women are commanded by cultural reproductive imperatives, but they are also excluded from the structures of privilege and support that make “successful” motherhood possible. Despite cultural portrayals of parenting as a universal human right, public policies systematically infringe upon this right, condemn poor and imprisoned women to motherhood under conditions of great deprivation, and demonize and degrade them and their children. Punitive policies contribute greatly to the creation and perpetuation of a caste system in which poor and imprisoned mothers are condemned by the cultural emphasis on family integrity and the preeminence of “family values.” These deliberate efforts undermine and destroy families despite a cultural catechism of concern for children and reverence for families.
