Gendered prisons, relationships and resettlement policies; three reasons for caution for imprisoned mothers[‘Is Motherhood Important? Imprisoned Women’s Maternal Experiences Before and During Confinement and Their Post-release Expectations’]

Drawing on the lived experiences and perceptions of five imprisoned mothers, this article critically explores female prisons, relationships and resettlement policies in England and Wales. The findings indicate how the infusing of gendered, informal social controls into penal interventions and penal policy has the potential to harm mothers. This is why three reasons for caution are proposed in relation to ‘structural obstacles’, ‘continued exposure to abuse’ and ‘ascribed reputations’. With these challenges, the mother’s aspirations for a crime- and drug-free future may be thwarted. Therefore, by showing the complex and dynamic set of circumstances that mothers in prison must navigate, more clearly, the need for a nuanced approach for working with women can be appreciated.