Law to allow imprisoned mums to keep baby with them

[Janice in Canada]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3711847a11,00.html


Mum and baby jail bill clears first hurdle
26 June 2006
By TRACY WATKINS

Legislation allowing mothers to keep their babies with them in prison for up to two years is tipped to clear its first hurdle when Parliament votes on it this week.


Championed by Green MP Sue Bradford, the bill sprang from stories about the treatment of breastfeeding mothers in prison and has won backing from National, NZ First and United Future to go to a select committee for further debate.

(see link for full article)

Janice

[Joannarachel]

That made me

I hope it passes.

[True Blue]

I hope it passes, but the only negative I see is a baby raised by its mommy for two whole years and then taken away.....now THAT would be traumatic.

[bri276]

yikes. I really don't feel good about babies being raised in jail, at all. I would definitely support pumping in jail and even having the baby brought several times per day to nurse, but what a terrible environment for an infant to live in. I'd prefer my baby to drink pumped milk at home with dad.

[Meiri]

but what a terrible environment for an infant to live in.

Why would it have to be terrible, and as I recall, our infants didn't notice much about our home environment--interacting with us most of the time.

Just what is required for an infant's environment anyway besides safe sleeping arrangements, safe place to play (and if a prison cannot provide onsite daycare!), and mom? Oh yeah: roof overhead, appropriate clothing and temperatures, clean water for washing....

[bri276]

I guess I want more than the basics for my child. I want her to go for walks in the sunshine, listen to music, visit at her grandparent's houses, play in the snow in the winter and go to the beach in summer. I think she should have the chance to develop relationships with people in the family besides me. I want her to live life, a real full life, which is why I didn't commit a crime punishable by imprisonment during my pregnancy- and I don't say this lightly, I am a convicted felon. Sure, some of these women are probably either innocent or received a harsh punishment for a nonviolent crime. But I'm not sure providing clean, comfy, appropriate place for a baby to grow up in a jail is a good answer to the problem of mothers & babies in the system. If they are that trustworthy that they deserve nice living quarters and to be with their child, why not place them on house arrest instead? And what about the children whose mothers have a sentence longer than two years? Sorry, it's your 2nd birthday, say bye to mommy and go live with someone else, somewhere else? incredibly traumatic.

[firstkid4me]

We're assuming they'll allow the mom to bf for 2 years, I have a feeling it'll be more like, "Happy first birthday, you're weaned!"

[Nora'sMama]

To me, the fact that the infant will be separated from the mom and placed in a totally NEW environment at age 2 is far more worrisome than the fact that the jail environment is not the best. I would think that the trauma of being torn from the person to whom the baby has attached and placed outside of the baby's familiar environment would be absolutely devastating. So to me, if the mom is going to be in jail longer than 2 years, the baby should not live with her. But if she was only going to be in jail a few months, then I think it would be preferable for the baby to stay with her. Surely for the babies' sakes they would provide a less grim jail environment than is usually the case.

[Cutie Patootie]

I am not so worried about the jail enviroment either, at least for the first 18 months to maybe 2 years...but the separation from being with mama for 24/7 for 2 years is absolutely heartbreaking. I agree if mom is going to be in for longer than 2 years it isn't in the best interest of the baby. Breastmilk is in the best interest of the baby...maybe moms in longer can be allowed to pump and store their milk for visitation. The whole thing is heartbreaking. I just can't get past the giving up your baby at the 2 year mark...even if it is for a few months. Baby just can't understand and it would be so traumatizing I think.

[Joannarachel]

I recently read about a program for inmates that allowed them to keep their breastfeeding children with them, and it wasn't at all like we think of jail to be.

Only certain offenders qualified, and you had to be on your best behavior. The 'jail' was a secure facility, of course, but the moms had private rooms, regular play time outdoors, child friendly activities to participate in, a wide, pleasant yard, even uniforms that looked more like street clothes.

Was it an ideal environment? No, of course not. But it certainly wasn't bars and locks and chains.

The article mentioned in the OP says the majority of women are serving a sentence LESS than two years, so one would assume that they would be out of jail prior to those babies reaching their second birthday anyway, right?

[LoveChild421]

Originally Posted by Nora'sMama

To me, the fact that the infant will be separated from the mom and placed in a totally NEW environment at age 2 is far more worrisome than the fact that the jail environment is not the best.

I really wish they would institute some sort of house-arrest program for pregnant women who commit non-violent crimes. That way as long as she didn't screw up her probation her baby can grow up with it's mom in a normal environment and not have to deal with separation at age 2 or 1 or whenever.

The article mentioned in the OP says the majority of women are serving a sentence LESS than two years, so one would assume that they would be out of jail prior to those babies reaching their second birthday anyway, right?

that makes more sense to me.

[Meiri]

I can't think that the trauma that will ensue at 2 is worse than that baby being denied all contact with its mother and breastfeeding.

If the mother's sentence is that long, there's no good answer. But complete denial of mother and her milk being better? I don't think so.

There's the mother to think of too in this. For some at least, the incentive of having her baby there to care for and think of would be a powerful one. And while there, those as need lessons they might've missed growing up on how to care for a baby/child could get those too.

[rmzbm]

This is just so incredibly sad for all involved. But just because the mom is being punished doesn't mean the baby should be. All babe's are entitled to mama's milk. All. Location shouldn't be a factor. It is sad that this will stop at the age of 2...but I still see it as a positive thing.

[MiamiMami]

I imagine if this bill passes those babies and mamas won't be in the same area with the general population.

I think this is a good thing as long as all bases are covered when transitioning the child to their new home away from their mother.

[aisraeltax]

i agree that it woudl be very traumatic for a child of 2 to be pulled from its primary care taker...and about the inability to go outside, etc. for 2 years.

i feel badly for mamas who are in prison but unless someone is getting out after 2 years, i think it may be better for the baby to be raised by someone else while the mama is in jail, unless they are going to create another atmospher for the mamas and babies.

how very sad a situation.

[gabysmom617]

I have to ask:

What if the mother could be a danger to her child?

[Sustainer]

The baby doesn't care where "home" is, as long as mama is there. The best place for a baby is with its mother, and the younger the baby is, the more it needs its mother, and the more traumatic a separation would be. I hope the law passes.