[00:00:00] How do women in prison experience pregnancy and motherhood? Brazilian researchers interviewed 42 incarcerated women who were pregnant, breastfeeding or had given birth while imprisoned. They examined their attitudes towards motherhood using psychological tests and semi structured interviews. The researchers analyzed participants responses to uncover how these women think and feel about motherhood under such difficult conditions.
[00:00:24] Half of the women were married and had two or more pregnancies. Half had abortions and reported one or more prior miscarriages. Their responses reflected suffering from being separated from their children. The most common words used to describe their motherhood in prison were separation, sadness, pain and fear. Many share the emotional trauma of being taken from their babies, often just six months after birth. Some feared losing their children to adoption or the justice system. Using words like violence, regret and anguish illustrated a clear picture of suffering and emotional conflict. The however, some described feeling strong or hopeful despite their lack of support. How deeply does prison impact mothers and their children physically, emotionally and socially? What can we do to support mothers in prison to have safer communities and healthier children?
