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Character Analysis: Orange Is The New Black

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In 1991, 449,600 State and Federal prisoners revealed being a parent to a minor and by 1999 there was at least 721,500 parents in prison (Nesmith & Ruhland, 2008). From the novel Orange Is The New Black, main character Piper Kerman is sentenced to 15 months in a Correctional Facility in Danbury, Connecticut. Kerman being a white female learns to adjust herself to the strict rules, but at the same time creates a bond with the other women also incarcerated. Although Piper struggles to adjust to this life she obtains endless support from both her friends and family. She gets countless visits from her families which impacts her well being while being incarcerated. As for many other women incarcerated do not have the same support from their families …show more content…

The women who have children are most likely go into foster care, which lead to the separation of families. Data proves “that a child with an incarcerated father is 4 times more likely to face foster system contact and 5 times more likely if the mother is incarcerated” (Raeder, 2012). When these children go into foster care women often lose contact of their children and even children who have multiple siblings get separated by them in foster care. In addition Kerman describes on mother’s day how there is large groups of families in the visiting room. Some of these women’s families “lacked the resources to come and visit even though many of them lived in New York City” (Kerman 2011). Furthermore, these families who took custody of toddler and teenagers also had a hard time guiding them on the bus, train, and taxis. Trips to the Correctional Facility was a burden for families, causing them not too visit whomever was incarcerated. For the women who are incarcerated families can be a source of support when serving their term in prison. For example, piper describes when families went to visit in prison women were extremely happy to have seen all of them (Kerman, 2011). Having the support from family can help and motivate the individual while in

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so you see? They've already given up on that child!” (Newjack, page 233). A study done showed that over 40% of inmates end up back in jail (Travis, 2000). A big part of this is poverty.

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No matter what crime she committed she should have no been treated that poorly. Macomb County Jail got luck that that nothing happened to the baby nor to Jessica. In the novel “The New Jim Crow” mentions how people are scared to ask for their rights so they just plead guilty instead. Most of these people have committed minor convictions and are treated like a herd of “cattle” because they do not have the money to post bail. Michelle Alexander wrote this book to show us what is really going on in this country, and this article helps prove it’s

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Granting children, the right to visit their incarcerated mothers is a contentious topic with both sides having strong claims and counterclaims. Terrance Bogans does an outstanding job in his essay, “Being Mommy Behind Bars: The Psychological Benefits of Child Visitation with Incarcerated Mothers” addressing why children should be allowed to visit their incarcerated mothers, citing many reasons and using many argumentative components. Bogans has an explicit thesis in the conclusion “Child visitation must be increased in order to alleviate the psychological strains that take place during incarceration” (15). Bogans uses this clearly stated thesis to tell his main point and to address his opposition. The author’s purpose is to convince readers that children and incarcerated mothers have a right to see each other and no one should stop that.

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b. Claudette Braxton entered the system when she was four years old because of family dysfunction caused by illness and alcohol abuse. She explains how they didn’t provide nurturing relationships because of the lack of time, training and desire to do so. Braxton compared herself “to normal kids who had parents and all the other things she wished she could have” (Braxton 51). It is painful that someone knows little to nothing about these poor kids, they deserve the same consideration and respect just like

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For example, children with incarcerated fathers have a higher chance of growing up in poverty, are more likely to grow up without a father, and are often stigmatized, all of which can limit their future labor market opportunities in the legal sector and increase the likelihood that they, like their fathers before them, will engage in criminal activity (Wildeman 2009). Thus, creating a never-ending, vicious

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I also agree that both the person gettin incarcerated, and the family is affected. They miss out on each others lives. Like with Mr. Harris he was in prison for 20 years. Now all of his kids are grown, and he missed out on them growing up. This also puts the mother in a weird position to take care of the children by herself.

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McBride, Elizabeth Cincotta, Solomon, Amy L. Familites Left Behind, The Hidden Cost of Incarceration and Reentry. http://www.urban.org/publications/310882.html . Accessed May 1, 2014 American Psychological Association. Webpage. Washington, DC 04 01 2014 http://www.apa.org/topics/parenting/ Alex D Thio, Jim D Taylor, Martin D Schwartz.

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Children faced many challenges through life. These challenges prevent children from adjusting to different situations. A child whose parents are incarcerated will experience adjustment difficulties. Coleman,2013,states“Children of incarcerated parents exhibit higher levels of antisocial behavior, delinquent behavior, mental health problems and cognitive delays. (p.211) Unfortunately, children of incarcerated parents experience challenges until they’re adults.

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Young and Smith (2000) write, "Children of imprisoned mothers are growing but an understudied group who have experienced significant disruptions" (p. 131). The effects of parental incarceration on children are multidimensional, and often the absence of a parent due to incarceration is only one issue faced by this population. The restructuring of love and belonging will need to develop if the physiological and safety needs are substantially met. Children with unique circumstances who have a parent in jail may contend with feelings such as anxiety, shame, sadness, grief, and guilt. Crucial to this endeavor is to help children through this stage before they look for love and belonging by engaging in risky behaviors, such as developing negative relationships or joining a gang.

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In this case the teenage girl was locked up by her own father, so she wouldn’t put the family in shame. Now days parents as well as the public are little more accepting

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A 2006 study supported the notion that greater exposure to childhood adverse situations were associated with behavioral problems as well as mental health problems (Daniel, 2007). Incarcerated women have a higher incidence of mental health disorders than the general population. For example, 12 percent of females in the general population have symptoms of a mental health disorder compared to 73 percent of females in state prison, 61 percent in federal prisons, and 75 percent in local jails (Daniel, 2007). Most incarcerated women do not receive treatment or assistance for these problems and are unlikely to meet goals of mental stability without the help of prison resources. Incarcerated women who have a mental health issue are unlikely to benefit from treatment programs so they usually don’t even bother because studies have shown the women who did receive treatment still engaged in behaviors that led to incarceration, implying that the current treatment programs are not

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The reason for this is connected to the proportion of women charged with criminal activity broadening over the course of the past three decades. This raises questions concerning Mother-Child Prison Programs in regards of the child’s safety, life beginning within prison walls, and if the mothers should be granted the privilege of raising their child while serving their sentence, for example. When looking at the broad topic of incarcerated mothers having their children accompany them in prison programs, one has to consider the following: is one best raised by their mother under any circumstance? When analyzing negative aspects towards these programs, the main concern falls on the safety of the children, as opposed to the

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The article said there are fewer women in prison than men, women account for only 7 percent. The prison system is designed for men and not won, and mothers of children need support at homes, not in prison. The article said

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As provided in the text, "In fact, nationwide, most women on death row are awaiting execution for a family crime involving an allegation of child abuse or domestic violence involving a male partner" (Stevenson 201). This shows that women are being arrested more and more for harming their children even though it may not be true. Also provided in the text, "Trina Garnett was the youngest of twelve children living in the poorest section of Chester, Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia. Chester had extraordinarily high rates of poverty, crime, and unemployment- and the worst-ranked public school system among Pennsylvania’s 501 districts, nearly 46 percent of the city’s children were living below the federal poverty level" (Stevenson 124). This shows that Trina grew up in a bad area and that the poverty she grew up in was horrible.

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Children need to feel secure and loved and need supervision and guidance. If a parent cannot be present to care for and look after their children, it can cause the child to feel afraid and they may act out or behave in ways that they would not if the parent were living with them. Several studies have found that a significant number of children of incarcerated parents struggle with a variety of childhood problems that have long term implications for adult adjustment (Kjellstrand, 2012). Even if children visit parents in while they are incarcerated, the physical and emotional distance can become a strain on their relationship. I think more should be done to encourage courts to take families into consideration in sentencing and correctional facilities should have better resources for incarcerated parents to maintain healthy relationships with their children.

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