In 1999, the Washington Corrections Center for Women created a unique program
combining a Residential Parenting Program with Early Head Start. This program
allows pregnant, minimum security inmates with sentences of less than three
years the opportunity to keep their babies with them after giving birth. The
inmate mothers and babies/toddlers live together in a designated unit and
receive support and education in alliance with skilled early childhood educators.
(1) An unexpected side-effect is the
humanizing of the prison atmosphere for other inmates and for the staff.
Through this photodocumentary project, I would like to show how the Residential
Parenting Program serves inmate mothers and their babies. In Learn
About the RPP, theory underlying the creation of prison systems which
recognize the social and neurobiological importance of supporting the mother-baby
bond in minimum security situations is briefly discussed. The
General Information section is a collection of materials related to the
photodocumentary including Statistics, Links,
Fundraising, Moms' Stories,
the Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights,
the Guestbook and Kudos.
Currently, there are seven Galleries combining text and photographs to explain
the RPP at WCCW. These galleries are: Selection,
Every Day Life on J Unit, At Play,
Caregivers, Early Head Start,
Special Occasions, and Release
(Please refer to the gallery menu on the left of this page.). Selection
describes the sorting out process in which a pregnant inmate at WCCW becomes
accepted to the RPP. Every Day Life provides basic
information about living in J Unit, the building where the RPP participants
are housed. At Play addresses concerns some critics
have expressed about gross motor development of toddlers in penitentiary systems.
Caregivers honors the critical importance of
nurturing support systems within the prison setting. Early
Head Start is a critical and distinguished component of the RPP at WCCW,
providing developmentally appropriate stimulation to the children and effective
parenting support to the inmate mothers. Special Occasions
reflects on the administrative philosophy at the WCCW which believes that
connecting inmates with their families during incarceration strengthens outside
support networks, honors the Children of Incarcerated
Parents Bill of Rights and reduces recidivism amongst released offenders.
Finally, Release briefly touches on the multiple
concerns of former offenders once their time has been served.
My intentions at the outset of this project have been to explore the concept of mother-baby prison programs specifically through the model adopted by the Residential Parenting Program at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. While the social issue of incarcerated pregnant women may be addressed in several ways, I believe that this RPP model deserves attention. Fundraising under General Information will direct you to where you may make a contribution so the project can continue to grow. I plan to continue my involvement with the program over the next several years, refining the work I began last February 2003. I hope that sharing what I have found will prove to be informative and inspirational.
(1) http://www.wa.gov/doc/wccwdescription.htm (pg. 3)
