Implications for Wider Society

Abstract

The impact felt during a period of maternal imprisonment is not limited to the children. By the fact of their childhood, the separation of primary carer and child leaves the child in need of another adult to take on their care; that adult and their family and dependents are also affected. This chapter focuses on the way in which maternal imprisonment impacts upon caregivers, contrasting their situation with those who take on the care of a child who is in local authority care following Section 31 proceedings in the family courts. How such care and other factors affect the children’s future life chances are explored, as the imprisonment of their mother has longer-term effects on their lives and potential outcomes, which in turn affects communities and wider society.