Overwhelmed and powerless: staff perspectives on mother – infant separations in English prisons

Abstract

Purpose

Imprisoned mothers are at increased risk for poor psychological health and psychological distress when separated from their children, so staff need to be highly skilled to support the women. However, there is a paucity of research focusing on staff experiences around sensitive issues such as mother–child separation. This study aims to understand the challenges faced by staff and how these might be addressed.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative interview study explored the views and experiences of 24 prison-based staff in England working with female prisoners separated from their infants.

Findings

Staff emphasised the challenges of working with separated mothers, specifically the emotional impact of this work, and the impact of the wider criminal justice system on their sense of agency.

Originality/value

A focus on the experience of separation highlights the broader problem of incarcerating women in general. Reducing the number of mother–child separations would mitigate the impact on both women and staff.

Citation

Powell, C., Ciclitira, K. and Marzano, L. (2020), "Overwhelmed and powerless: staff perspectives on mother – infant separations in English prisons", Journal of Criminal Psychology, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 311-328. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-04-2020-0017