Of course, with every program there come regulations and rules as to who is able to participate. The mother can't be serving a sentence due to a violent crime; she must be near the end of her sentence, among a few other regulations. There has been a lot of controversy; many people argue that this should not be allowed. Is it really safe for a child to be raised in such a violent environment, and shouldn't these women be punished not getting rewarded. As of right now there are only nine states which participate in this "nursery in prisons " program; California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia. 4.
Is this program indeed beneficial for both child and mother? Many of the inmates have a high recidivism rate, because while imprisoned they lacked the support of their family members and rehabilitation programs. Many advocates of the nurseries in prison programs argue that having inmates keep their children with them is beneficial to both mother and child. For starters, the child will grow up and receive the loving care of his mother. Next, mother's who are allowed to have their newborns must attend rehabilitation programs while in prisons; such as parenting classes, alcohol and drug treatments, among other programs, this will result in lower recidivism rates for the female offenders. The purpose of the program is to give the mother's motivation in order to complete their sentence, and stay on the wholesome path. .
However, then we have critics who argue that this program is violating the babies' constitutional rights. Many mothers aren't offered enough or in some cases any prenatal care, the mothers endure a stressful environment while pregnant. To make matters worse, the mothers are shackled while in laboring, thus causing discomfort for mother and child. Many of the "prison babies " are born premature, and underweight when compared to other babies who have received the proper care.
