Prison Nurseries: A Controversial Measure to Protect a Mother’s Rights
Every year, thousands of incarcerated mothers enter the prison system already pregnant. Many are youthful offenders or are serving short terms for minor crimes. Nevertheless, they are forced to suffer what many would call the harshest punishment a mother can endure: having her child taken away moments after birth. Lawyers and their clients have struggled over this issue for years. Recent attention has been drawn to the brutal practice of shackling incarcerated women during childbirth and labor. Possibly even more unsettling is the practice of removing children from their mothers moments after they are born. While prison officials often cite the need to maintain the efficacy of the justice system, one must wonder what sort of long-term effect this has on mother-child bonding and whether…
