MOTHERS AND CHILDREN BEHIND THE BARS: A LOOK AT THE DRAMA TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN IN PRISON

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the health conditions related to the care of postpartum women and their children within a prison from the Bahia state. It identified practices and care to the postpartum women and their newborns. This is a qualitative study with a sample from the pregnant and postpartum female prison population. Semistructured interviews and a focus group were employed as methods on a sample of six inmates mothers. Through content analysis three categories were identified: Care x Negligence towards postpartum: deprivations from the maternity experience; Care x negligence towards the baby: the little invisible ones; and the mother-child separation: a second penalty. As a result it became clear that the female incarceration system is rather unprepared regarding infrastructure and in the supply of trained professionals to deal with the specifics of pregnant women, mothers and trained human resources to deal with the specificities of pregnant women, mothers and their children in the prisonal context. It is necessary that society is shown how the care for children in prison takes place and that the nursing professionals, in particular, also know their importance in the scenario of incarcerated women.