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The Pros And Cons Of Prison Nurseries

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Becoming a mother is one of the few joys in this world. Preparing for a child can be the happiest time in a woman’s life. Unfortunately, for incarcerate mothers/mothers to be, being pregnant in jail does not bring the same joy it would to an expectant mother who is outside the confines of a jail. Pregnant women who are incarcerated is a topic that is often overlooked, along with the care these women receive regarding their children. In correction facilities there are no daycare centers, no doctor appointments, and no mommy and me classes. Some facilities have made steps to accommodate and care for expecting mothers and mothers with young children inside of prison nurseries. A prison nursery is a small section within the correctional facilities …show more content…

According to Corrections.com, (2014) “the number of prison-based nursery programs is growing, but that such programs are still relatively rare, even though every state has seen a dramatic rise in its women’s prison population over the past three decades, only nine states have prison nursery programs in operation or under development” (p.1). The states that house prison nurseries include: New York, Nebraska, Washington, Ohio, Indiana, South Dakota, Illinois, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The requirements for nursery acceptance varies among these states. It also depends on the charges filed against the mother and whether the mother is eligible for parole within the set amount of months required for each state. In Nebraska and Ohio, the requirement for acceptance into the nursery programs is the same, however, the length of stay for the mother is different. Fox News (2016) stated that for both Ohio and Nebraska, “the mother must not be convicted of a violent felony and must be within three years of release to qualify”. Illinois and Indiana have similar requirements for acceptance. According to FOX news (2016) “In Indiana, women must be pregnant when taken into custody to be considered for the nursery program. No violent crime convictions or child abuse history. Must be within 18 months of release after birth to qualify.” (p.1). In Illinois Fox News states, “to qualify, the woman must be within two years of release after giving birth and have committed a nonviolent offense” (Fox News, 2016,

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