title: Mothers in prison: maintaining connections with children.
abstract: The significant increase in the number of incarcerated women ensures that many children must live without their mothers for some period of time. Women in prison were interviewed about their efforts to maintain relationships with their children. Mail and telephone contacts were more frequent than actual visits. Almost one half of mothers had never received a visit from their children. This article identifies challenges to the development and maintenance of contact between incarcerated mothers and their children. Recommendations are made for correctional agencies to enhance opportunities for incarcerated mothers to foster positive connections with their children.
authors.affiliation: College of Public and Community Service, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, USA. sylvia.mignon@umb.edu
authors.forename: Sylvia I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Mignon
authors.forename: Paige
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ransford
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult