Mother’s Day, made an official U.S. holiday in 1914, was celebrated on Sunday. Many people celebrate with gifts, flowers, balloons, and other acts of kindness to express their love and joy for the special mothers in their lives. At the same time, however, many mothers spend this special day locked behind bars in our nation’s prisons and jails. How many? I would like to share those data with you; however, highlighting data that haven’t been updated since 2010 doesn’t seem very insightful, especially since we know that incarceration rates for women have increased dramatically over the last couple of decades. Instead, I will discuss why these and similar data are not routinely collected and some of the issues that result.
Who’s Collecting Data on Incarcerated Mothers?
A study conducted in 2022 by Girls Embracing Mothers found that only 11 states compile data on incarcerated mothers, 24 states do not collect this information, and nine states collect self-reported information but state that it is “unreliable,” not helpful,” “not routinely updated,” or “not factual.” Six states did not respond to the study (see map).
Map: Data Collected on Mothers Incarcerated by State
One reason provided in the report by a respondent for Wyoming’s Department of Corrections is that in his opinion, “[this information] is not something that’s important to the Department of Corrections (DOC).” While this can be seen as an insensitive remark, factually the DOC as an organization does not need to know who is and who is not a parent. However, other government agencies and community organizations often utilize this information to provide much-needed services to children of incarcerated parents. States that report collecting these data are also more likely to partner with nonprofit organizations to help keep parents and children connected.
What About the Kids: Why this is Important?
People may ask why collecting data on incarcerated mothers is important. Those individuals are likely forgetting that an innocent child is waiting at home for these mothers. In addition, many of these incarcerated mothers are single moms, and now a child must grow up with an extended family member or in foster care. Furthermore, another area where data are lacking pertains to pregnancy outcomes for women who are pregnant and give birth while incarcerated.
As the authors highlight in this American Journal of Public Health report on pregnancy outcomes in U.S. prisons, prison pregnancy data are crucial for addressing incarcerated women’s prenatal healthcare needs and improving outcomes for them and their babies. This is an even bigger issue for minority women who often face even higher incarceration rates. Currently, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that some facilities have medical areas with on-site nursing staff, however in general, correctional facilities only provide pregnant women a special diet, standardized information on options regarding the pregnancy outcome and the baby’s placement, substance use disorder treatment, and prenatal medication.
Mother’s Day has passed this year but we must not pass on the opportunity to collect better data on incarcerated mothers and provide better care for women pregnant while incarcerated.
