Disconnected: Exploring provisions for mother–child telephone contact in female prisons serving England and Wales
| Published date | 01 April 2020 |
| Date | 01 April 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1748895818801806 |
| Author | Natalie Booth |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895818801806
Criminology & Criminal Justice
2020, Vol. 20(2) 150 –168
© The Author(s) 2018
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/1748895818801806
journals.sagepub.com/home/crj
Disconnected: Exploring
provisions for mother–child
telephone contact in
female prisons serving
England and Wales
Natalie Booth
De Montfort University, UK
Abstract
Despite a growing body of international work describing the negative consequences of
imprisonment for children and families, few studies have explored the accessibility and
functionality of prison telephones. Mother–child contact has recurrently been identified as an
important mechanism to alleviate and manage some of the emotional and practical adversities
which accompany maternal imprisonment, and telephone contact has the potential to
provide regular, perhaps even daily, contact for these separated family members. Responding
to the knowledge gap, this article qualitatively explores the narratives of 15 mothers in
prison with first-hand experience of using prison telephones to communicate with their
children. Thematic data analysis revealed four critical obstacles and challenges with prison
telephone facilities for Reconnecting in the first weeks, in the Cost of calling, in Telephoning
privileges and Inconsistencies across prisons. Contrary to legal and policy guidelines, the findings
illuminate how institutional barriers seriously affect mother–child communications, and
recommendations are made.
Keywords
Children of prisoners, prisoners’ families, mothers in prison, penal policy, qualitative prison
research, prison telephone contact
Corresponding author:
Natalie Booth, De Montfort University, School of Applied Social Science, Office 00.04 Hawthorn Building,
Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK.
Email: natalie.booth@dmu.ac.uk
801806CRJ0010.1177/1748895818801806Criminology & Criminal JusticeBooth
research-article2018
Article
Booth 151
Introduction
The international growth in prison populations, alongside increased recognition of the
impact of parental imprisonment, has generated increased policy and academic interest
in the children and families of prisoners in recent years (Chui, 2016; Mills and Codd,
2008). Although women are a minority population in prison, constituting just 5% in
England and Wales (Ministry of Justice (MoJ), 2013), estimates have suggested that
nearly 18,000 children are separated from their imprisoned mothers every year (Wilks-
Wiffen, 2011). This is because more than half of the 4,000 women in prison in England
are mothers. Relationships with children will be affected for all parents in prison.
However, the disruptions can be more severe when that parent had lived with and cared
(sometimes solely) for their dependent children prior to their sentence; as is the case for
most women (Caddle and Crisp, 1997; Williams et al., 2012). A mother’s removal into
prison can be extremely challenging for mothers, children and other family members,
such as grandparents and female relatives, who step in and look after the children in the
mothers’ absence. Women in prison tend to be serving short sentences, lasting six months
or less, for non-violent crimes (Prison Reform Trust (PRT), 2016). Yet, research has
shown that custodial sentences – including these short ones of six months – can strain
mother–child relationships, and bring about long-term social, economic, domestic,
financial and psychological disadvantages for the whole family (Baldwin, 2015; Baldwin
and Epstein, 2017; Booth, 2017a; Enos, 2001; Flynn, 2013).
For many women in prison, the hardest aspect of being incarcerated is separation
from their children (Carlen and Worrall, 2004; Enos, 2001). Consequently, many attempt
to sustain frequent and meaningful contact with children while in prison (Booth, 2017b).
In England and Wales, prisoners are permitted contact with friends and family through
visits, telephones and letter writing in the post and, where available, through email-a-
prisoner (HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP), 2016). In recent years prison visits have
received a considerable amount of academic research attention (Christian et al., 2006;
Comfort, 2008; Condry, 2007; Dixey and Woodall, 2012; Sharratt, 2014; Tasca et al.,
2016), meanwhile much less is known about other forms of communication. Responding
to this gap, the current study explored all the different forms of contact which imprisoned
mothers had attempted to use to stay in touch with children while in custody. In doing so,
the critical role of regular and meaningful telephone contact was revealed, as well as the
limitations of the current provisions found in English female prisons. Thus, by drawing
on the lived experience of imprisoned mothers, this article offers new and important
insights into the accessibility and functionality of telephones in female prisons serving
England and Wales (Baldwin and Epstein, 2017).
Policy and Legal Context
Special attention shall be paid to the maintenance of such relationships between a prisoner and
his family as are desirable in the best interests of both. (Prison Rules, 1999, no. 4(1))
The female prison population has trebled in the last three decades in England and Wales
(MoJ, 2013). Consequently, a larger number of mothers and children are separated by
imprisonment every year, and are relying on communicative facilities in prisons
To continue reading
Request your trial