The majority of the women incarcerated in the US are mothers, and they face enormous challenges maintaining contact with children: being placed at great distances from their families, restricted and costly communication options, correspondence screened by prison officials, and crowded and non-family friendly visiting rooms. They also risk having their parental rights terminated — one of the most horrific collateral consequences of incarceration.
WJP’s Incarcerated Mothers & Their Children infographic was released in May 2018 to highlight the scope and devastating impact of mass incarceration on mothers and families. We honor the thousands of mothers behind the walls who continue to fiercely love and parent their children, despite the numerous barriers imposed by our inhumane criminal legal system.
Learn more and view the full, downloadable infographic HERE.
Take action by:
- Learning about the Adoption and Safe Families Expanded Discretion Law
- Learning about the Bill of Rights for Children of Incarcerated Parents
- Following and supporting the Justice for Women COVID-19 Task Force
- Following and supporting the work of New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents (NYCIP)
- Following and supporting the work of Hour Children
- Following and supporting the work of the #ConnectFamiliesNOW campaign