Separation of Incarcerated Mother from Child: The Impact on Childhood Development and the Call for Greater Clinical and Policy Interventions

Many children live in physical and emotional poverty during and after the incarceration of their mothers. This deprivation can impact their academic performance, ability to handle stress, receive and give love, or abstain from delinquent and violent behavior. This article argues that the separation of mother and child, as a result of imprisonment, can have a detrimental impact on a child's life. Social workers and policy makers must implement alternatives to policies and practices that perpetuate harm to these victims.