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Updated: Mar 29, 2026

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Preschool Outcomes of Children Who Lived as Infants in a Prison Nursery

Lorie S Goshin1, Mary W Byrne1, Barbara Blanchard-Lewis1

  • 1Columbia University School of Nursing.

The Prison Journal
|November 27, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Children living in US prison nurseries showed better behavioral development than those separated from incarcerated mothers. Prison nursery co-residence offers resilience for children facing early maternal incarceration.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Criminology

Background:

  • Maternal incarceration significantly impacts child development.
  • Early childhood separation from mothers due to imprisonment poses risks.
  • US prison nursery programs offer a unique environment for infants of incarcerated mothers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the long-term behavioral outcomes of children raised in US prison nurseries.
  • To compare developmental trajectories of children with and without prison nursery co-residence.
  • To assess the protective effects of prison nursery programs on child development.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study comparing 47 preschool children from prison nurseries with 64 children from a national dataset separated due to maternal incarceration.
  • Behavioral development assessed using standardized measures.
  • Statistical analysis controlled for caregiving environment risks.

Main Results:

  • Children raised in prison nurseries demonstrated better outcomes than those separated from incarcerated mothers.
  • Separation was linked to significantly higher anxious/depressed scores.
  • Prison nursery co-residence appeared to confer resilience despite early life adversity.

Conclusions:

  • Prison nursery co-residence with developmental support can promote resilience in children of incarcerated mothers.
  • These programs represent a best practice for supporting infants born to incarcerated women.
  • Policy and practice should advocate for the expansion of prison nursery co-residence programs.

Keywords:
behavioral developmentmaternal incarcerationprison nursery

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