Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: Motherhood Behind Bars And The Pain These Women Go Thru' To Give Up Their Kids.......

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

Motherhood Behind Bars And The Pain These Women Go Thru' To Give Up Their Kids.......

It was supposed to be a special moment when Laura Strange cradled her newborn daughter in her arms for the first time.
But instead of enjoying the happy arrival, the 25-year-old was preparing to say goodbye to the tiny infant.
At little over two hours old Haley, swaddled in a hospital blanket, was taken away from her mother and it could be two years before the pair are reunited.




Little Haley is one of 340 babies born each year to mother's serving sentences at Valley State Prison, in Chowchilla, California.
With on average 120 inmates pregnant each month only a handful of women are lucky enough to avoid separation from their infants.
Strange said: 'I accept the consequence of my crime; I accept the fact that I broke the law. But what does that have to do with my child? 



Giving her up was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
'I hurt every second of the day for her.' 
Photographer Mark Allen Johnson was allowed access to the prison and its pregnant inmates to capture the struggle of giving birth behind bars.
Being pregnant does not secure expectant mother's special treatment at Valley State, the world's largest prison for women.


Jasmine Jones, 19, who is nine months pregnant with her first child, waits for a doctors appointment in a holding cell
 

With nearly four thousand inmates, they are forced to continue to rub shoulders with murders and violent offenders at the 640 acre site.
'Being pregnant does not give you better treatment,' one expectant mother complained. 
Another alleged received threats of violence from her fellow detainees while she was with-child.
Blonde-haired Strange was taken from her prison cell at the onset of labour to Madera Community Hospital where she gave birth by cesarean section. 
Just two hours after the delivery, a booming voice breaks the silence of the ward, 'Strange, fifteen more minutes.'


One of the children living behind bars and locked doors as she stays with her mother at the Community Prisoner Mother Program
 
Eager to enjoy their last few moments together, the new mother quickly feeds the infant from a bottle of baby formula whispering: 'Momma doesn't want to send you away on an empty stomach.'
Gazing down at the shackles around her ankle that confine her to the hospital bed, Strange shakes her right foot. 'My damn leg fell asleep again,' she moans.

Melissaa Bates is one of the lucky ones. She and her daughter are serving a two year and seven month sentence together at a community based facility as part of Community Prisoner Mother Program.
 

 'Five more minutes,' the voice shouts, interrupting her final moments with Haley. 
Trembling, Strange quietly pleads, 'Why me?'
As the newborn finishes her bottle a nurse arrives and prises the infant from her mother's grasp before walking out of the door with the child. 


Margret Bell, 36,  is reunited with her son Devin.  The Mother-of-three is currently on parole from prison and living at 'The House Of Ruth,' a transitional housing unit for prison mothers and women at risk, run by the Church Of Glad Tidings.
 

Just an hour later Strange is on her way back to Valley State Prison, where she will spend two years behind bars for drugs charges.
While she serves the remainder of her sentence her mother, Anita, who is already looking after her son Gerard, will take care of Haley.



Margaret Bell and Son Devin have been reunited after she was released from prison
  

Amber Marich, 25, who is seven months pregnant and serving a two-year sentence for distributing drugs, is not the first person in her family to end up behind bars.
She also has a uncle serving life, a father who has served multiple prison sentences.
Inmates who are pregnant are given little or no rehabilitation for their drug use and criminal lifestyle and it is hard for them once released to escape their past.
Prison officials say that children born to criminal parents are also more likely to commit crimes themselves, creating a perpetual cycle that contributes to the growing prison population - Dailymail reportage.




I wonder how often inmates in Nigeria get pregnant and what happens to the Children thereafter!
Who makes these Ladies pregnant?Are they not supposed to be in an all female prison with Female guards?










49 comments:

  1. If they care so much about their babies why are they committing crimes? Abeg joor d system dey try for them sef.

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    1. Are we supposed to pity these women???? If they were not wrongfully jailed, dunno wat dis post is about. Someone else can look after their babies while they serve their time. They should have thot of d babies before breaking d law

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    2. The system too try oh! Wish nigeria can have this

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    3. Some of them got pregnant in cell. Who got them pregnant?

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  2. The kids behind bars with their mum broke me. Poor kids,Locked up in a confined space for nothing they know of.

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    1. Abeg they look like their in boarding house and not jail. Go to kiri kiri to know how far. See them well taken care of, conducive environment. Although jail is jail no matter how luxurious.. but some of these crackhead mothers do better in jail than in their project apartment projects..(Section 8).

      The twisted ones starve the kids when at home anyway, but in jail they are monitored as well as their kids. Little wonder some would rather remain in jail because life for them there is better. That's in a country that has a working and a functional system for their citizenry. Let's not even start to talk about ours.

      Stella, some inmates in Nigeria get pregnant because the police officers sleep with them, or the prison warders. That's all.

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  3. Am very sorry for the question, are they pregnant before going to jail or they got pregnant in jail. The case of Amber Marich is very disheartening, hope prison is their family house? Lors help us o





    *Larry was here*

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    1. Some get preggo inside by d wardens. Some come in preggo. I doubt if they allow them conjugal visits, if they do den that's an obvious way

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    2. Certainly. You can be rest assured that these ones got pregnant before they got into jail. (except in rare cases where conjugal visits are authorised)

      Otherwise, there's no way any man would have slept with them whilst incarcerated. It's not Nigeria, that nonsense doesn't happen abroad. Well, civilized countries that is. Although 1% of inmates have gotten pregnant in jail illegally.

      Most of these women, I'm sure are in jail for misdemeanor offences that would have them locked away for just a few months or years. Like 1-2 years kind of thing. I think the ones who have longer jail terms would have to find an alternate arrangement for their kids to be taken. In some cases they are kept with the social services, or perhaps a family member who's willing to cater for such kids.

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    3. Ahh??? Sisi Eko Na u de talk this one ?

      My dear it happens abroad too. Susan smith, d lady who claimed a black guy carjacked her n sped off with her kids still in d car but would later confess to downing her kids....she was caught at least twice having sex with d correctional officers, and she's not d only one. It happens all d time not just in Naija dearie.

      Do u know how many of d female inmates that were taken out in order to get abortions, after sex with male P warders? Lets not talk about the male inmates Wey dey nyash n spermatize lol( in BB's voice) female warders like Cray ....even last year a male inmate(black) impregnated two officers lol

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    4. Charismatic dear, lol yes I agree o. That's why I said 1% na. See how u can make reference to a particular one in isolation, unlike the way it's done regularly in Nigeria...that's what I mean. That it has happened but not like our own.

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  4. This article is Heartbreaking!
    Poor Poor Kids....

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    1. Yea poor kids but d women no send,American women esp can commit crime alot,some of them enjoy that prison

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  5. But the other one looks like Kate henshaw
    On that note,how do these women get pregnant?
    Is it the warders that inpregnate them?
    I don't understand how hard core female criminals even have the urge for sex....
    If separating them from their babies will make them understand the rule of law....
    I'm solidly behind the cradle robbers...
    They're all unfit mums

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  6. If you ask meee......no who i go ask.im omawumi's voice.

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  7. During a Prison visitation some years ago In Enugu, I saw some babies and toddlers there with their mothers. Honestly speaking, I was moved to tears that day. The women in this story above may feel the pain of separation but I tell you the truth, raising a child behind bars is NOT the best thing. If you've got a good family or friend who will help take care of that child, allow them help you. It's only for a little while. You ll be free someday and can celebrate your reunion!

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  8. So they got pregnant before going to prison or what?

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  9. Am sure they are all pregnant bfore their sentence. Such a pity to go through all these, very little is known about life in nigerias prison but rest assured it wont be a pleasant tale at all.

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  10. I watched a documentary on pregnant women behind bars and I was awed!

    They were properly taken care of,allowed to take their routine drugs and have doctors check on them.
    Funny thing is that the unrepentant once would want to run their cartels from behind bars..trying to sell drugs and all.
    It was very interesting to watch...
    Their kids were allowed visits too.. very emotional!!!

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    1. Yea you right. The prison warders are their accomplices sometimes. But most of these women turn to lesbians when dick no surface o

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    2. Lol! Na so.... u see how some of them 're being coerced into sex with the prison warders for favours such as drug, alcohol n cigarette

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  11. Who impregnate them
    "If you ask me na who I go ask...."
    *OmaWunmi Wonder's Voice*

    Unimaginable is the pain of their separation.

    But Why getting preggie in their ? ? ?

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  12. Hmmm, how do they get pregnant in prison? What if they don't av any1 in d outside world?

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  13. Cute kids...
    I'm sure it will be a worse situation if its here. Stella could it be the prison wardens? Are they not suppose to be females too? Maybe they allow their boyfriends or husbands to copulate with them during visiting hours. What do I know?

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  14. I felt for Laura and the baby. I can't stand the cry of a baby.

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  15. PREACHER'S WIFE26 March 2015 at 12:45

    Hmmmm... The day hubby and I went for a prison outreach in PH, it took the grace of God for me to hold myself. Fortunately, it was on a Saturday, the male inmates were having their own service, the way they were singing and drumming? I was shocked! Hubby was given few minutes for exhortation. I wasn't allowed in, so, myself and a few other church women went to the female section. I saw a woman who just sat all alone, when I asked, I was told she gave birth the previous week and the baby had been taken to her people. But for those who didn't have anyone, the children would be taken to a motherless babies home and kept there till the woman finishes serving her term.

    The girls there were psychedelic! I kept wondering what must have happened. Some of them decided to sing for us. I didn't know when I started crying!

    I thank God for freedom, I thank Him for everything!

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    1. Sweetie, how are you holding on? God is your strength.
      This story broke me, I cried, literally

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    2. Your hubby will preach,then maltreat you too?

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    3. PREACHER'S WIFE26 March 2015 at 21:26

      Lol @ Anon 18:25. It is well.

      Mrs D, the kids and I are fine. God is acting as our pillar.

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    4. E yahhh. The annoying thing is that some will be in that prison indefinitely. Most of them have not been tried, nor have they been before a judge.

      Majority of them have been locked behind bars for no apparent reason for bloody long years, some will even die there without anyone knowing. Some have been forgotten by their folks, while a bunch of others have been declared missing by their relatives.

      Even the police officers that picked them up may not remember their offences again, nor do they have a case file for each. This is where the judicial arm of the government should be prevalent. Our judicial system is utterly screwed up, the legislative arm of the government is on the down low. I don't know when this particular issue will be resolved absolutely.

      So many people in prison have no business there... I can go on and on and on.... smh

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  16. Lol, let's google it.
    The first pic was painful to look at.
    It is well.

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  17. That is why it is good to do legitimate business so that no one ends up in prison.

    God will help those that are in prison and are innocent.

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  18. Abeg na who give them belle inside prison yard na?

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  19. olori western union26 March 2015 at 12:58

    Hmmmm interesting.

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  20. Hmmm.....dis kind tin plenty for kirikiri na...chai uwadegwu!!!!

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  21. Who dey impregnate these women naa while in custody? E get as e be ooooo

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  22. This is touching...Motherhood is something difficult to explain...The joy of seeing your child and the anguish of letting the child go.

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  23. Stella, they r granted conjugal visits... I suppose!

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  24. Wow! Imagine being separated from one's baby minuted after birth.

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  25. Were they pregnant before they were sentenced
    Or they got pregnant in the prison
    I wonder why people engage in crime
    when they know the consequences
    I have no pity whatsoever for the women
    I only pity the innocent children involved
    God has given us brains
    I wonder why some people don't use theirs
    Its quite unfortunate
    Poor kids!

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  26. this happens everyday here and its no big deal.Alot of them get pregnant before going to jail and while in jail they are well taken care of.For thoes that committed very serious crimes or repeat offenders,the physiologist believe that letting them bond with their baby some hours after delivery or even letting them keep the baby while in jail,goes along way in helping their rehabilitation and trust me most times its works. Not all inmates are allowed to keep their babies you have to earn that privilege by being of the best behavior and your sentence must not be too long.you cant be on death row or have a life sentence and they would let you keep the baby there.

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    1. sweetie/fellow libra.....Where is HERE? Please be specific....This is the world wide web.

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  27. Am emotional. The innocent children behind bars with their mum? Am shattered

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  28. You people ask dumb questions on this blog..it's not rocket science...it's either they were pregnant before they got in and a few probably while in prison...on rare special occasions sha visits from spouses are arranged.......all kinds of things go on behind prison walls even in America.....

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