Children, Mothers and the Criminal Justice System

Bibliographic Data

ID12968907
AuthorsDoret De Ruyter (0000-0001-7891-6818, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, corresponding author), Sanne Hissel (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Catrien Bijleveld (0000-0002-2455-533X, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement)
Year2013
Volume5
Issue4
Publication date2013-07-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReview of European Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1918-7173 • E-ISSN: 1918-7181
PublisherCanadian Center of Science and Education (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.5539/res.v5n4p43
OpenAlexW2099906941
LanguageEN
References cited14

Every year, a substantial number of children are confronted with the detention of their primary caregiver, which in most cases is their mother. Empirical research shows that the well-being of children is seriously affected by their mother’s imprisonment, although to date no study has been able to assess whether detention of a mother as such causes long-term damage. Starting from normative pedagogical principles, this article argues that mothers who are active caretakers of their children should not serve a prison sentence while their children are underage. The interests of children are a sufficient reason to prevent ‘collateral damage’ to their well-being - unless it is evident that other reasons either related to the well-being of children or society have to overrule this principle

Collateral · Criminal justice · Criminology · Developmental psychology · Economic Justice · Imprisonment · Normative · Political science · Prison · Sentence · Child Abuse and Trauma · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Homelessness and Social Issues · Law · Psychology

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