Zheng 1

HenryZheng
Mrs.Marcum
Eng111
November24,2015
BabyBehindBars
Mostpeoplethinkaboutprisonastheworstandthemostterrifyingplaceonearth.
Startingataveryyoungage,peoplearetaughtandhearthatonlybadpeoplegotoscaryplaces
likejailsorprisons.Aspeoplematureoveraperiodoftime,theystarttohaveabetter
understandingofwhythoseparticularcriminalshavetogotojailorprisonfortheircriminal
actions.Thenasadolescentsreachadulthood,theycomprehendthatnotalllawbreakerswhom
havebrokenthelawsandhavetogotoprisonwerejustifiedasactualcriminals.However,even
ascriminals,theycanstillchangeforthebetter.Severaloftheconvictsstillhaveachanceat
redemptionfromthemistakestheyhavedoneinthepast,andtheycanchangetobecomeabetter
personthanbefore.ManyoftheconvictsarefemaleinmatesinAmericathatarepregnantin
prisonandareabouttogivebirthtotheirchild,whiletheyareservingtheirtimeinprison.The
problemsarethatmostofthewomeninmateswhomarepregnantinAmericawillhavetheir
babytakenawayfromthemafterbirthbecausetheyarestillinprison.Thegovernmentbelieves
itisforthebestthatthemothersandbabytobeseparatedbecausetheythinkthemotherisnotin
thebestconditiontotakecareofherownchild(NumberofBabiesBorninPrisonSoars).
Especially,whenthemotherisstillservinghersentencesinprison,thegovernmentconsiders
thatitisnotsafeforthebabytobeinthatenvironment.However,somecitizensinAmericado
notagreewiththegovernmentandthinktheyalldeservetherighttotakecareoftheirownbaby

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eveninprisonwiththem.TheUnitedStatesshouldallowprisonnurseriesbecauseother
countriesallowittooandtheprocessofallowingthemothertohaveachanceatprisonborn
nurserieschangesthemtobecomebetterpeople.
IntheUnitedStates,pregnantinmatesaregettingtheirbabiestakenawayfromthemafter
birthbecausetheyarestillservingtimeinprison.Themotheronlygetstoseeherownbabyonce
rightafterherbirthformaybelessthantenminutesuntilshefinishesherincarceration.Thebaby
willbetakentotheclosestinfantmothersfamilies,friendsorfostercare.SarahYageristhe
supervising editor of The Atlantic magazine, and she wrote an article called,
Born Prison, about prison nurseries in America. Yagerargues,thevastmajorityof
womenwhogivebirthwhileincarceratedintheUnitedStatesmusthandovertheirbabywithina
fewhoursofdelivery,tofamily,friends,orthefostercaresystem.Forsomemotherseventhose
withshortsentencestheseseparationsturnouttobepermanent(Yager).Theworstcase
scenarioisthattheinmatemothergetsseparatedfromtheirinfantforgood.Thisisjusthorrible
because,whensomeofthemfinishtheirsentences,theycannotseetherebabiesanymoreeven
outsideofprison.IntheUnitedStatesthelawsandrulesforpregnantinmatesareprettyharsh
andhorrible.OnlyafewstatesinAmericaallowpregnantinmatestonurturetheirbabyafter
birth,whiletheyfinishtheirsentencesinprison.Yagercontinuestosay,Eightstatesnowoffer
prisonnurseries,allbutoneofwhichhaveopenedinthepasttwodecades;Wyomingrecently
finishedconstructingafacilitythatwillbringthetotaltonine(Yager).Thisisjustwonderful
thatthegovernmentatleastletnineoutoffiftystatesallowprisonnurseries.Ninestatesin
Americaareprovidingfoodandshelterformotherinmatesandtheirbabies.Also,lettingthem
interactwiththeirbaby,sotheycancreateabondbetweenmotherandherchild.Onthe

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downsidefortyonestatesoutoffiftystatesdonotallowprisonnurseries,whichisliterallya
majorityofthestatesinAmerica.Also,meaningthattheydonotallowtheinmatesmothertosee
theirinfantsaftertheirbirth.
WhynotallowallstatesinAmericatofollow the lead of these other nine and
make those changes of havingprisonnurserieswithintheirstates.Itdoesnotmakeany
sensebecausemostofallothercountriesaroundtheworldallowprisonnurseriesintheir
countriesbutnottheUnitedStatesofAmerica.ThefourcountriesintheUnitedKingdomallow
prisonnurseriesintheirnation(Russell).Forexample,Englandisoneofthefourcountriesthat
allowprisonnurseriestohappenandflourishintheircounty.BenRussellisahomeaffairs
correspondentandwroteanarticlecalled,NumberofBabiesBorninPrisonSoars,aboutthe
increasingpopulationofbabiesbeingborninprisonintheUnitedKingdom.Russelldiscusses,
TherearesevenspecializedmotherandbabyunitsinprisonsacrossEngland.Newbabiescan
staywiththeirmothersforbetweennineand18months,andoftenleavewhentheirmothers
finishtheirsentences(Russell).ThisalsoincludesallthestatesinEnglandnotlikeinAmerica
wheretheyonlyallowedninestatesoutoffifty.Theyareevenhumaneenoughtoallowmother
inmatestostaywiththeirbabyinprisonuntilshefinishesherincarceration.Thisishowitshould
beforallinmatemothersacrosstheworldthatwilloralreadyhavetheirbirthduringtheir
sentencesinprison.Allofthemshouldbetreatedequallyunderthelaws.Eveninplaceslike
Africa,someofthecountriesprovideprisonnurseries.Matsika, Muridzo, Nyanguru, and
Dzingirai all participate in the Journal of Social Development in Africa, and
together they wrote an article called, InnocentInmates:TheCaseofChildrenLiving
withIncarceratedMothersinZimbabwe'sChikurubiPrison,aboutprisonnurseriesinAfrica.

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They argue,SouthAfrica,BotswanaandKenyaallhavelawsthatguidejointincarcerationof
mothersandtheiryoungchildren.InKenya,forinstance,theprisonguidelinesstipulate4years
asthemaximumageatwhichachildcanremaininprisonwiththeirmother(Matsika et
al.).InthesestatesinAfricabylaw,theyhavetohaveprisonnurseriesintheirprison,andit
shouldlikethatforallcountriesintheworld.EvenKenya,onethepoorestcountriesintheworld
andisalsoconsideredathirdworldcountry,providesprisonnurseriestomotherinmatesand
theirbabyinprison.Thereshouldbenoreasonsandexcusesthatafirstworldcountrylike
AmericacouldnotprovideprisonnurseriesforfortyonestatesintheU.S.
OneofthepositiveoutcomesofhavingprisonnurseriesinsomestatesintheUnited
Statesandinmanycountriesarethatmostofthepregnantinmateswillchangetobecomebetter
citizensthanbeforewhenreleasedbackintothepublicandsociety.Also,thepublicwillfeel
saferknowingthatthefemaleinmateswhohavebeenreleasedfromtheirprisonhavelearnedto
becomeabetterperson.Thechancestobecomebetterpersonforpregnantinmatesbeginafter
theyhavegivenbirthtotheirnewbornchildanddoingeverythingintheirwilltobeabletotake
careoftheirinfantinprisonwiththem.Theonlyopportunitiestheyhavearetoattendaprogram
thatimprovestheirconductforthesuitablecrimeeachindividualhascommitted.SallyJacobs,
whoworksfortheGlobesince1988asprojectsreporter,wroteanarticlecalled,"RaisingBaby
BehindBarsassomeInmateMothersGettoBondwiththeirNewborns,aN.Y.PrisonSoftens."
Jacobswritesaboutreducingthecrimepatternslikedrugdealersbylettingbabiesstaywiththeir
motherinprison.Shesays,Inthemorning,thewomenparticipateinparentingoreducationor
rehabilitationprogramsandcanleavetheirbabiesattheInfantDayCareCenterinanadjacent
basement(Jacobs).Themotherinmateshavetotakeoneofthosethreeprograms(parenting,

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education,orrehabilitation)inordertotakecareoftheirbaby(Jacobs).Someofthemother
inmatescanseetheirbabyanddothesessionsoftheprogram,whileothershavetocomplete
theirentiresessionoftheprogramsbeforetheycanseetheirbaby.Thereasonsarebecausesome
ofthemotherinmateshavemoreseverecrimesthanothersandarerequiredmoretimeto
completetheirsessionwiththerightprogram.Attheend,allofthefemaleinmatessharea
commongoal.Theyallwanttofinishtheirprogram,whichareassignedtothem,sotheycango
backtotakingcareoftheirbabies.Intheprogress,thefemaleinmatesgetachancetoturntheir
lifearoundandusewhattheylearnfromtheprogramtotakecareoftheirchild.Theyareeager
toparticipateinalloftheactivitiestheprogramhastoofferthemtohelptheindividualfemale
inmatestohaveabetterunderstandingofthecrimestheycommitted.Also,theparenting
programsteachthemhowtoavoidcommittingthesamecrimes,whichgottheminprisonthe
firstplace(Jacobs).EvaWisemanisacommissioningeditorofObservermagazine,and
CatherineMcShaneisadocumentaryfilmmakerandjournalist.Together,theywroteanarticle
called,BORNBEHINDBARS,inObservermagazineaboutwomenthathavebeenthrough
prisonnurseries.WisemanandMcShaneinterviewonemotherprisoner,LorraineReid,andshe
says,IwasworriedaboutwhereIwouldhavethebabyandwhethershe'dbeabletostaywith
me.It'snotadvisedtodetoxwhenyou'repregnant,butIwentstraightintorehabwhenIgotto
Holloway.IwasdeterminedtoproveI'dchanged(WisemanandMcShane).Thisisanexample
ofoneofthefemaleinmateswhoisdesperatelyworriedifsheisgoingtobeabletostaywithher
babyinprison.Sheisdeterminedandfocusesonbecomingabetterandahealthierperson,by
goingrightintorehabduringherpregnancy.Eventhoughsheknewshewaspregnant,anditis
notthebesttimetodetoxwhileinrehab,shediditanyway.ThereasonReiddidthedetoxwas

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becauseshedidnotwanttolosetheonlychanceofpersonallytakingcareofherownnewborn
childinprisonwithher.Thesefemaleinmateswillinglywanttochangetobecomeabetter
personsotheycanspendpreciousandvaluabletimewiththeirownbabyinprison.
Overall,thesepregnantinmatesintheUnitedStatesdeservetherighttotakecareoftheir
ownbabyinprisonwiththem.Thebabyshouldnotbetakenawayfromthefemaleinmatesafter
theirbirthintheU.S.Itisawfullywrongtoseparatethemotherandtheirnewbornchildevenif
thosemothersarecriminals.Afterall,theyarejusthumansthatmadeamistakesometimein
theirlifelikeeveryoneelseintheworld.Theirmistakescouldbegreaterthanotherpeople,but
theycanstilllearnfromtheirslipupsandbecomeabetterpersonthanbefore.Alltheyneedisa
secondchanceoropportunityfromtheU.S.governmenttokeepthefemaleinmateswiththeir
babyinprisonwiththem.IfmostofthecountriesintheworldliketheUntiedKingdomand
Kenyahavegiventhesefemaleinmatestheirsecondchancebyallowingprisonnurseriesso
shouldtheUnitedStatestoo.

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Work Cited
BenRussellHOME,AFFAIRSC."NumberofBabiesBorninPrisonSoars."The
Independent:1.Oct272008.ProQuest.Web.8Nov.2015.
EvaWisemanand,CatherineM."ObserverMagazine:BORNBEHINDBARS:
BeingPregnantandinPrisonForcesaWomantoPreparefortheWorst.WillShe
ReceivetheTreatmentSheNeeds?WillShebeAbletoGetOutofHerCellifLabour
Starts?and,mostPoignantly,WillShebeAbletoKeepHerBaby?FourNewMothers
TelltheirInsideStories."TheObserver:50.Feb212010.ProQuest.Web.15Nov.2015.
Jacobs,Sally."RaisingBabyBehindBarsassomeInmateMothersGettoBondwith
theirNewborns,aN.Y.PrisonSoftens."BostonGlobe:E,1:2.Jul291997.ProQuest.
Web.15Nov.2015.
Matsika,A.B.,etal."InnocentInmates:TheCaseofChildrenLivingwithIncarcerated
MothersinZimbabwe'sChikurubiPrison."JournalofSocialDevelopmentinAfrica28.2
(2013):7392.ProQuest.Web.8Nov.2015.
Yager,Sarah."PRISONBORN."TheAtlanticMonthlyJul2015:6271.ProQuest.Web.
3Nov.2015.