A double-edged sword: Children’s experiences of visiting a parent in prison in Scotland

Abstract

Prison visits are recognised as an important feature of a humane prison system, providing important benefits for prisoners and their family in maintaining ties (McCarthy and Adams, 2017). Scotland has a history of penal welfarism and a right-based agenda in relation to visits (McCarthy and Adams, 2017); however, there is a lack of research that focuses on visits in the context of Scottish prisons. Equally, there is limited research that considers the perspective of children visiting a parent in custody. This paper explores the experiences of children visiting a parent in prison in Scotland, highlighting lessons for policy and practice.

Stigma, Outsider Status and Mothers in Prison

“…Restrictions, therefore, reinforced maternal feelings of shame, stigma, and guilt leading to a 'false family experience' (Lockwood et al, 2021;Lockwood, 2018) as well as reinforcing the 'outsider' they-image of not being good enough mothers, who could not be trusted.…”

“…The prison regime including physical space and the dynamics between prison staff and mothers also impact on contact between mothers and children with prison visits being described as a bittersweet experience (Codd, 2008). Prison visits are often characterised as restrictive in relation to timings, physical contact, mothers being unable to leave their seat and a focus on surveillance during visiting times (Hutton, 2016;Lockwood et al, 2021;Booth, 2018). As a result, prison visits can exacerbate feelings of shame, guilt, loss and stigma (Carlen, 1985;Enos, 2001) leading to many women preferring that children do not visit them whilst in prison (Baldwin, 2017).…”

Improving Outcomes for Children Affected by Parental Involvement with the Criminal Justice System in Scotland

“…The needs and experiences of families of those involved in the criminal justice system has gained increasing visibility in both academia and policy over the last decade (Booth, 2020;Condry & Minson, 2020;Hutton & Moran, 2019;Lockwood et al, 2021;Woodall & Kinsella, 2017). However, the focus of this work has been directed primarily toward the families of those in prison.…”

‘Lockdown's changed everything’: Mothering adult children in prison in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Whilst this is an important body of work, there is a dearth of knowledge in relation to the needs and experiences of parents of those in prison (Hutton, 2019). This gap in knowledge is significant as international research identifies that over half of parents in custody receive no visits from their children (Lockwood et al, 2021;Poehlmann-Tynan, 2015), and intimate partner relationship breakdown is common (Hutton, 2019); with parents more likely to maintain contact (Murray, 2003). The 'ethics of care', in which women are considered more likely to foster and maintain interpersonal relationships, poses an ideological expectation on women to provide familial care (Souza et al, 2019); the 'care' for adult children in custody is therefore more likely to fall to mothers.…”

“…Equally, the increased risk of COVID to those in prison has resulted in families experiencing extreme anxieties (Testa and Fahmy, 2021). With families of prisoners across the globe equally more likely to have complex health needs themselves (Lockwood et al, 2021; Raikes et al, 2019; Woodall and Kinsella, 2017), the distress experienced is likely compounded by concerns for their own health and well-being during the pandemic.…”