The Children of Women in Prison

Imprisoned women and their children are vulnerable populations; they are likely to have experienced family violence, abuse, drug and alcohol misuse, chaotic lifestyles and disrupted close relationships. Many of these women are also single parents who are detained far from their families and support systems; this makes the maintenance of relationships between them and their children fraught with difficulty. The results of this study confirm findings from international research which identify the need for programmes and facilities to assist women in prison to maintain their relationship with their children during their sentence and to facilitate the reunification of families on their release. Recommendations have been made about policies and practices that are likely to achieve these goals. The findings of this research are relevant to a broad audience ranging from criminal justice professionals to academics and students in the fields of law, criminology and sociology.