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Imprisoned Moms Are Keeping Kids
More states allow convicted mothers to raise their children
By Harry Kimball
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Posted May 10, 08 7:23 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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More states are imprisoning babies, and moms couldn't be happier: Prisons nationwide are allowing incarcerated mothers to keep their little ones, the AP reports. Opponents of the practice say the kids may be traumatized, but one researcher found that “the outcomes are promising, if the prison nursery programs have the appropriate resources.”
Purported benefits aren’t just for kids: One Ohio prison’s program has seen participants’ recidivism rates fall to 11%, 21% below the prison's average. And the plans are multiplying as more women are imprisoned, largely due to mandatory sentences with drug convictions. “Out there it's a little bit more chaotic," one mom in prison said. “We're enjoying this time right now, we really are."