The voices of incarcerated women at the forefront of parenting program development: a trauma-informed approach to education

Abstract

Background The lives of women experiencing incarceration are complex, impacting many aspects of parenting. Incarceration can present an opportunity for women to access parenting education. However, their specific needs have to be considered. Few parenting programs for women experiencing incarceration have involved the women as part of their development. Methods Six focus groups were conducted in a prison setting involving thirty-one women to explore and understand their parenting education needs. Results Four main themes were identified to reflect the complex lives of the women and their parenting education needs. These themes were: working towards a positive self, communication as a lifeline, supporting and nurturing their children and hopefulness and reconnecting. The trauma women experienced in their lives was apparent during discussions. Conclusion Women requested a non-judgmental parenting program to be developed to meet their specific needs and circumstances. The program needed to be designed to enable them to share stories with women in similar situations. Women gave insights into some of the specific content and topics they would like included in a parenting program. The women revealed experiences of trauma in their lives, demonstrating the importance of the need for a trauma informed approach to parenting education.

Navigating pregnancy and early motherhood in prison: a thematic analysis of mothers’ experiences

“…Mothers of young children are given access to parenting programs, which are increasingly being advocated due to their perceived ability to improve parenting skills, strengthen family relationships, reduce the negative impacts of maternal imprisonment on children, and reduce re-offending (Goshin et al, 2014 ; Tremblay & Sutherland, 2017 ). However, there is a significant heterogeneity in program design and delivery and only few studies have asked mothers about their parenting education needs (Lovell et al, 2022 ; Tremblay & Sutherland, 2017 ).…”

“…As discussed, research on maternal incarceration is emerging but, in most cases, studies have investigated the impacts of prison-based programs on improving outcomes of incarcerated mothers and their children (Shlonsky et al, 2016 ) or the parenting education needs of mothers (Lovell et al, 2022 ). Most studies are conducted in a few countries, predominantly the United States and the United Kingdom, and have several methodological limitations, such as non-standardised assessments, lack of comparison groups, and the absence of long-term follow-ups (Dodson et al, 2019 ; Shlonsky et al, 2016 ).…”

“…Voices of imprisoned mothers are almost non-existent in this scholarly arena (Nuytiens & Jehaes, 2022 ). Where studies have been conducted, women are mostly asked to provide retrospective accounts of their perspectives towards some prison-based programs, particularly prison nursery or parenting programs (Baldwin et al, 2020 ; Lovell et al, 2022 ). There has been less emphasis on what mothers themselves believe would be helpful for them to undertake their maternal responsibilities for a young child while in prison.…”

“…Imprisoned mothers with young children are a priority population given their vulnerability and unique needs (e.g., belong to impoverished and marginalised communities, have childhood or adult experiences of abuse and trauma, experience mental illness and drug dependency, and face challenges in reuniting with children and returning to the community). Much of the existing research on maternal incarceration has focused on mothers’ reproductive healthcare needs or parenting or how mothers construct and hold on their identity as a mother while in prison (Baldwin, 2017 ; Bard et al, 2016 ; Lovell et al, 2022 ). Despite evidence supporting the differential impacts of maternal incarceration depending on the child’s age and stage of development (Powell et al, 2017 ), most studies have included mothers of dependent children but none of them have explored the unique experiences associated with mothering young children while in prison.…”

Are custodial-based mothers and children's units evaluated, effective and aligned with a human rights-based approach? – a systematic review of the evidence

“…A gender responsive trauma-informed approach is one model to address the cycles of disadvantage for women and their children, many of whom have experienced family violence. 19 …”