Irish Legal News: Nearly 300 children in Ireland whose mothers are behind bars
2nd March 2023
In an article by the Irish Legal News, IPRT's new report on Maternal Imprisonment in Ireland argues that non-custodial measures at both pre-trial and sentencing stages should be the preferred position for pregnant women and women with dependent children.
Molly Joyce, IPRT’s Acting Executive Director, said:
“There is considerable harm caused to children when their mother – who is often the primary carer – is imprisoned.
“Imprisonment of a child’s primary caregiver can have an extremely detrimental impact on the child, with parental imprisonment recognised as one of 10 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) which can have a lasting impact on people into adulthood.
“As it stands, our various services are failing to adequately safeguard the rights and needs of children and families of prisoners, and action is needed to provide support to these families.
“This scoping study particularly highlights the need for action across government to reduce the negative impacts of maternal imprisonment on children.”
Read the full article on the Irish Legal News website here. Press release was also covered by the Law Society Gazette here.
Read the report launch round-up here.
Read more about IPRT's work on children and families of people in prison here - www.actionforfamilies.ie.
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