OVERVIEW

1. IMPRISONED MOTHERS: ‘OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND’. A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR REBUILDING MOTHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS

2. OVERVIEW • Issues facing imprisoned mothers • Background to project • Findings from initial prisoner focus group • Attributes of prisoners participating • Care arrangements for children • Social Services – Vicious Circle • “Mediation” Interventions – Indirect Contact • Positive Parenting Groups • Feedback from prisoner focus group

3. ISSUES FACING IMPRISONED MOTHERS • Women = 6% of UK prison population, approx. 65% have dependent children1 • Fewer female prisons – harder to visit – less open prisons – less resources e.g. for parent support • Only 5 % of children whose mothers are in prison remain in their own homes, 9% cared for by fathers = stress (90% of children with father stay with mother) 2 • Fewer female prisoners = more stigma – disowned by their own extended families

4. BACKGROUND TO PROJECT • Community based parenting interventions in a prison context – DfES funding • HMP Buckley Hall to HMP Styal • Practicalities – keys, link personnel / allies, venue, Child Protection / Security screening, networking, credibility with Probation Department. • Publicity • How project fitted in with HMP Styal’s wider resettlement agenda – “Drop In” Centre

5. INITIAL PRISONER FOCUS GROUP • Real hunger for parenting interventions – recognition that practical and emotional assistance needed • Consensus that problematic behaviour, e.g. fighting, assaults on staff and self harm were driven by guilt / tension / anxiety arising from not seeing children • Status as mothers ignored during sentence – “part of identity missing” • No safe space to engage with these complex feelings

6. ATTRIBUTES OF PARTICPATING PRISONERS • Experienced Domestic Violence / Abuse • Drugs background factor in offending • Coercion from partner significant to offending • Isolation – from partners, and own family – disowned as result of offending & stigma • Known to Social Services – not CP offences • Low self esteem – compounded by guilt arising from offending / imprisonment

7. CARE ARRANGEMENTS FOR CHILDREN • With family members – e.g. partner (rare), grandparents (most common), sister / brother. • Arrangements generally ratified by Social Services, often with Residence Orders in place • Sometimes children were accommodated by Social Services e.g. in foster care • Whatever care arrangement, always checked if SSD involved – and if so sought their view – difficult and time consuming

8. ISSUES RELATING TO SOCIAL SERVICES • Dismissive of positive impact of parenting interventions on imprisoned mothers’ capacity to change – cynicism /scepticism • Relief that children safe – do not wish to “rock the boat” • View of contact – defer to carer • No resources to assist with contact • “Ask her to come and see me when she is released – then we’ll see if she has changed!”

9. VICIOUS CIRCLE : IMPRISONED MOTHERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS

10. ISSUES RELATING TO SOCIAL SERVICES - Contd • Sometimes not keeping mother informed – e.g. of review meetings, and proposed Residence Orders / Adoption plans • “Out of Sight, out of mind” mentality • Contact by parenting worker catalyst for better communication with Social Worker • NB – some notable exceptions – where empathy demonstrated by Social Workers towards imprisoned mothers • Are imprisoned mothers judged more harshly than imprisoned fathers?

11. INDIRECT CONTACT • Letter writing / phone contact advice • Sometimes letters full of frustration and even blame towards carers – not shown to children by carers • Mediator assisted mother to build empathy for carer’s viewpoint – e.g. Grandparents - stress of caring for children late in life / sister brother - difficulty integrating child/ren into their family • Individual time helped mothers to see the needs of their child and the carers

12. INDIRECT CONTACT • Ideal letter / phone contact structure: - Appreciation of good job carers doing in looking after child/ren - Expression of hope that child was behaving well for carers - Positive news of activities in prison –e.g. work or education - Invitation to child to share news - NB – many prisoners wrote good letters from the outset too

13. INDIRECT CONTACT • Mothers recording DVDs for children • Very emotional • Support – Preparation - Rehearsal • Advice similar to letters • Working with imprisoned mother on her own needs • Working with her to assist her to see the needs of her children’s carers • Security / logistical issues to overcome

14. POSITIVE PARENTING COURSES • Relaxed group setting – up to 15 prisoners • 2 facilitators • Coverage of issues such as children’s needs, discipline and boundaries • Combination of facilitator input, sharing in small and large groups, flip chart work • Most powerful aspect support from and challenge by other prisoners • More application to group tasks by prisoners than parents in the community

15. FEEDBACK FROM CLOSING PRISONER FOCUS GROUP • Huge appreciation of having space to affirm their identity as parents – nowhere else to do this • Needed safe space to “remove mask” that was needed to survive prison • Removing mask equated to being emotionally vulnerable • Facing up to and letting in guilt arising from parenting deficiencies very cathartic – but needed to end on light note prior to going back to main prison

16. FEEDBACK FROM PRISONER FOCUS GROUP • Sharing of the frustrating reality of parenting from behind bars – toilet anecdote – processing in group v. helpful • Putting problems to the group v.helpful – dealing with boundaries and requests for money • Wanted group to last for longer • Negative views of those in authority – gatekeepers of their contact – Social Workers

17. CONCLUSION: BARRIERS / OPPORTUNITIES MISSED • Structural – less prisons – less resources • Physical – distance from children • Organisational cultures – negativity • Emotional – guilt and embarrassment at their past mistakes reinforced by negative views of workers – causing low self esteem and motivation • Prison Parent Support Services can address parenting deficits • S.Workers need to change their “out of sight, out of mind” attitude for full benefit

18. REFERENCES 1.Carlen and Worrall (2004), Analysing Women’s Imprisonment, Devon, Willan Publishing. 2. Caddle & Crisp (1997), Imprisoned Women and Mothers, London, Home Office.