Fowler Cathrine, Rossiter Chris, Power Tamara, Dawson Angela, Jackson Debra, Roche Michael A
School of Nursing & Midwifery, 511351University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Tresillian Family Care Centres511351, Sydney, Australia.
J Child Health Care. 2022 Mar;26(1):82-95. doi: 10.1177/13674935211000882. Epub 2021 Mar 20.
Female incarceration is rising steeply in Australia and other high-income countries. The majority of incarcerated women are mothers. Their children represent a particularly vulnerable group, often subject to adverse experiences due to their family's disadvantaged circumstances involving inadequate housing, food insecurity, poverty, poor health, a lack of personal safety due to violence and resulting trauma. This qualitative study explores parenting experiences of incarcerated mothers separated from their children. Interviews involved 65 mothers in three Australian prisons and 19 stakeholders providing correctional services and support for incarcerated women. Data were analysed using interpretive description. Mothers' accounts highlighted frustrations resulting from trying to maintain relationships with their children, often exacerbating their separation and compounding parenting difficulties. Two major themes emerged from the data: 'protecting their children' and 'at the mercy of the system'. Mothers described how they tried to protect their children from the consequences of their incarceration, yet many of the correctional system processes and procedures made it even harder to maintain connection. Incarcerated mothers need support in their parenting role. Ideally, this support should commence during incarceration. Further, changes within prison routines could enhance mothers' efforts to keep in contact with their children, through visits and phone calls.
在澳大利亚和其他高收入国家，女性监禁率正在急剧上升。大多数被监禁的女性都是母亲。她们的孩子是一个特别脆弱的群体，由于家庭处于不利环境，包括住房不足、粮食不安全、贫困、健康状况差、因暴力导致缺乏人身安全以及由此产生的创伤，这些孩子常常经历不良遭遇。这项定性研究探讨了与孩子分离的被监禁母亲的育儿经历。访谈涉及澳大利亚三所监狱的65名母亲以及19名提供惩教服务和支持被监禁女性的利益相关者。数据采用解释性描述进行分析。母亲们的叙述突出了她们在试图与孩子维持关系时所产生的挫败感，这往往加剧了她们的分离之苦，并使育儿困难更加复杂。数据中出现了两个主要主题：“保护孩子”和“受制度摆布”。母亲们描述了她们如何努力保护孩子免受自己监禁带来的后果，但许多惩教系统的流程和程序却让维持联系变得更加困难。被监禁的母亲在育儿角色中需要支持。理想情况下，这种支持应在监禁期间就开始。此外，监狱日常安排的改变可以通过探访和电话增强母亲们与孩子保持联系的努力。
