ABSTRACT
Mother–child separations are a gendered ‘pain of imprisonment’ leaving a legacy of further trauma for mothers on release, particularly those who are not reunited with their children. Building on Haney’s (Criminality in Context. The Psychological Foundations of Criminal Justice Reform. Washington DC: American Psychological Association, 2020) contextual approach, this chapter will present a co-produced qualitative analysis of research findings on separated mothers in prison in England and Wales. This collaboration between a mother with lived experience of the prison system (Martin) and a prison researcher (Powell) will draw on feminist criminological work reflecting on personal experience of the prison system. Interweaving lived experience reflections with a study of maternal imprisonment, the chapter will discuss how imprisoned mothers’ experiences of separation from their children are mediated by social support. Three aspects were emphasised by mothers and prison staff: (1) the impact of family relationships; (2) wider systems and agencies beyond prison; (3) prison mother and baby units (MBUs). It is proposed that a contextual understanding of mothers’ experiences is needed to work towards mitigating the harms of mother–child separation.
