The experiences of incarcerated mothers affected by separation from their children: The impact of the Rockefeller Drug Laws

The purpose of this research study was to explore the impact of separation upon previously imprisoned mothers separated from their children, due to drug offense convictions under the long-term mandatory incarceration statues of New York's Rockefeller Drug Laws (RDL). A purposeful sample of previously incarcerated mothers under the RDL recruited from the Women's Prison Association & Home, Inc. (WPA) made up the sample for this study. In this qualitative study, these 22 mothers of color, from the lower socio-economic stratum, described their experiences as women addressing motherhood from upstate behind prison walls.;The majority of these respondents were African-American, with one Jamaican, one Panamanian, and two Puerto Rican Americans. While 16 of the 22 mothers (72%) reported having a limited education, three (14%) held high school diplomas, and another three (14%) had attended college. The ages of these research respondents ranged from 27 to 53 years. When these 22 mothers went to prison they left 62 children behind in the community for approximately 133 years.;Major areas examined were: events that led to the mothers' incarceration; child care arrangements; addressing motherhood from behind prison walls; mothers' emotional reactions to contacts; mothers' relationships to their children's caregiver; mothers' emotional adjustment to separation; termination of parental rights; and respondents' reactions to the Rockefeller Drug Laws (RDL) and the Reform Act of 2004 (Reform Act). When taken together, these different areas provide a comprehensive perspective on the lives of formerly incarcerated mothers separated from their children.;This researcher found that there were multiple events that led to the mothers' imprisonment, all related to the mothers' experience of substance abuse and drug addiction. Responsibility for child care was assumed by extended family in the majority of cases. Mothers maintained contact with their children via three mechanisms: (1) in-person visits in the prison; (2) telephone contacts; and (3) mail, including cards, letters and photographs. Twenty out of the 22 mothers maintained some type of contact with their children while in prison. Mothers' emotional reactions to these contacts ranged from feelings of guilt and anger to feelings of happiness and joy.;A key variable was the mother's relationship to the child's caregiver. Criteria were developed to evaluate the mother/caregiver relationship based on the above types of contact. It was found that eight (36%) of the mothers had a highly positive relationship with their children's caregiver, seven (32%) had a moderately positive relationship, five (23%) had a minimally positive relationship and two (9%) had a negative relationship. Mothers expressed a variety of emotional adjustments to separation. By far the most commonly referred adjustment reaction was depression due to loneliness. Mothers also noted a sense of profound sadness and many coped with this through emotional disconnection.;Some mothers faced the issue of termination of their parental rights. Eight (36%) of the mothers reported that their parental rights had been terminated. In a majority of cases, mothers initiated this termination as a way of providing more security for their children by ensuring adoption by other family members.;The mothers' reactions to the RDL and the Reform Act were unanimous in that they felt the laws were unfair, unduly harsh, and a non-productive law which had no interest in rehabilitation. The Reform Act was seen as a minimal improvement, as only 2.8% of those imprisoned under the RDL were eligible for reform consideration.;In conclusion, this researcher found that the RDL were harmful to mother-child relationships. Extended incarceration, combined with distance from their children, negatively impacts the mother-child bonding experience. Recommendations include achieving the repeal of the RDL. In lieu thereof, this researcher offers the following recommendations: relocating incarcerated mothers closer to home; developing better supports for visitation; periodic three-day retreats to encourage bonding; and improved community-based support for caregivers. Future research is needed to longitudinally examine the long-term effects of incarceration as a result of the Rockefeller Drug Laws.