International Prison Nursery Podcast

In this episode, Barbara Frey is joined by Doctor Martha Paynter, the Director of Nursing Research with the Contraceptive and Abortion Research Team at the University of British Columbia and Assistant Professor in Nursing at the University of New Brunswick. Dr. Paynter draws from her research, which focuses on the intersection of reproductive health and the carceral system, to provide a comprehensive overview of incarceration in Canada, particularly the hyper-incarceration of Indigenous women. She describes the demographics of incarcerated mothers and examines the criteria and operation of the Mother-Child Program. Throughout the episode, Dr. Paynter calls attention to the program’s deficiencies, such as the burdens it places on incarcerated mothers, the lack of institutional evaluation and data collection, and the limited alternatives available. Ultimately, she challenges the current model of placing babies in prison with their mothers and calls for a more critical examination of the Mother-Child Program’s use, advocating instead for community-based alternatives to incarceration.

In this episode, Barbara Frey sits down with Dr. Smita Dharmamer, the Associate Director of Children in State Care at Aangan Trust India, and Mallika Setalvad, a citizen volunteer at the Nanhe Kadam Balwadi creche in Mumbai. Dr. Dharmamer explains how Aangan Trust, a child protection organization, has evolved to work directly with children living in prison with their caregivers. Drawing on Aangan Trust’s deep-rooted commitment to working within the system and communities, Dr. Dharmamer delves into the recent advancements in the use of prison creches and nurseries across India. Through a collaborative approach between nonprofits, correctional facilities, and citizen volunteers, Aangan Trust has spearheaded the establishment of nurseries and creches that not only serve the children of incarcerated individuals but also the children of prison guards. Finally, Setalvad provides an account of her hands-on experience as a citizen volunteer at the Nanhe Kadam Balwadi creche, offering invaluable insights into her role and emphasizing the conditions and practices that should be given precedence to best support the children in these units.

Joining Paul Dosh is Terry Nyaoro (aka Terry Bii), Program Officer at Clean Start Kenya, a Narobi-based organization that aids justice-impacted women and children with reintegration support. Nyaoro details the history of Clean Start, emphasizing the impact the founder’s experience with incarceration has had on the organization’s mission and programming. Drawing on the post-release challenges many women face, Nyaoro describes the psychosocial and economic programming offered to promote self-sufficiency among women. Transitioning to a focus on children, Nyaoro discusses the circumstances of those living in Kenyan prisons and the work Clean Start has done in this area, such as responsive caregiving, a childcare framework within the prisons, and policy advocacy. Underscoring the importance of ongoing conversations on the impacts of incarceration, Nyaoro outlines the organization’s future goals and how listeners can get involved with Clean Start.

Transcript (English) [PDF]

In this episode, Paul Dosh speaks with Jane Silfen, the Director of Programs for Hour Children, a nonprofit organization that supports current and previously incarcerated women through educational, vocational, and family-oriented programs. Silfen leads the mother-child care initiatives at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in New York, which has the nation’s oldest prison nursery program. She describes the prison nursery’s rich history and the core values it was founded on, as well as how its initial mission has taken shape through the program’s accommodations and specialized services such as doulas, lactation consultants, and a full-time on-site manager. Finally, she describes the tactics that Hour Children utilizes to connect incarcerated women with their older children in order to strengthen the bonds of all types of families impacted by incarceration.

Transcript (English) [PDF]

Joining Barbara Frey is Doctor Jacqui Johnson, a family response violence specialist at Oranga Tamariki—New Zealand’s Ministry for Children. In this episode, Dr. Johnson discusses her Ph.D. research on “Monitored Mothering,” an ethnographic study on the experiences of mothers who parent in New Zealand’s Mothers with Babies Units, or MBUs. She describes the social, temporal, and spatial environment of the unit with a focus on impacts on the child and on the mother-child relationship. Exploring the dual roles held by prison custodial staff, mothers, and the unit itself, Dr. Johnson outlines the nuances and contradictions that arise when nursery programs take place in correctional facilities.

Transcript (English) [PDF]

In this episode, Paul Dosh sits down with Doctor Lorie Goshin, a nurse and associate professor at Hunter College Bellevue School of Nursing with a Ph.D. in nursing research. Dr. Goshin describes what prison nurseries look like in the United States and delves into the structure, operation, and conduct of such institutions. She specifically focuses on Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in New York, which holds the nation’s oldest prison nursery and is currently led by the nonprofit organization Hour Children. She also details her research with Columbia University professor Mary Byrne, which focuses on the effects prison nurseries have on early child development and attachment security. Dr. Goshin frames this discussion within the achievements and possible reforms of the prison nursery system in order to fulfill the best interests of not only the child, but the mother as well.

Since 2022, Dr. Goshin has worked as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner through Project SHERO, a supportive housing jail alternative for women and gender-expansive people.

Transcript (English) [PDF]

Transcripción (Español) [PDF]

In this episode, Barbara Frey speaks with Doctor Elena Azaola, an anthropologist and psychoanalyst who specializes in Mexico’s politics of security. Her research focuses on youth impacted by Mexico’s criminal legal system, children and adolescents affected by widespread violence, and women deprived of liberty. Through these lenses, Dr. Azaola explains the considerations that should be taken into account when advocating for the best interests of children accompanying a parent into the prison system. She discusses the issues faced by Mexico’s prisons—such as overcrowding, lack of resources, and ineffective separation of incarcerated men and women—and weighs these conditions against the act of separating a young child from an incarcerated parent. By evaluating these circumstances while respecting the familial bonds between parent and child, Dr. Azaola sheds valuable light on parental incarceration in Mexico.

Transcript (English) [PDF]

Transcripción (Español) [PDF]

Transcript (English) [PDF]

Transcripción (Español) [PDF]