210713 Netherland's Morther - Child Progam

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: 8:50 AM

Han J.H. Kluijtmans , Netherlands, Prison Governor, 5825 ZG Overloom, Netherlands
Of the prison population in The Netherlands, 6% are female. 70 to 80 % of them are mothers, a majority of whom , approximately 70%, are lone-carers. Imprisonment of mothers is not only a sentence to the mother, it affects her whole family. In reality also the children are punished and can be severely damaged. In the Netherlands children can stay with their mother until they are nine months old. In the Ter Peel prison of there are special facilities for children until the age of four, but only if there is not a better alternative. Volunteers, acting as ‘mother-pals' give practical and emotional support. Children who are not with their mother can get help from a volunteer who picks them up for a visit to their mother in prison. Booklets are available to help the mothers explaining what a prison is, how prison life looks like and why she is there. Female prisoners who have children need special attention, support and specific programmes to help them fulfil their responsibilities as a mother, building a good relation with the children and at the same time working on their rehabilitation and re-socialisation. The interests of the children should always be first.

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the barriers to mother - child prison placement.

Keywords: Women, Prison

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Prison Governor at women's prison
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.