Lost mothers - how women and professionals involved with the criminal justice system experience enforced separation of newborn babies

关于首席研究员(PI)该PI于2020年从健康与疾病社会学基金会获得为期一年的全职博士后奖学金。第一次进行研究的机会是作为一名成熟的博士生参与了一个项目：一项关于英国监狱中孕妇经历的人种学研究。该奖项于2018年成功获奖。这项研究通过媒体、演示文稿、出版物和监狱政策的改变产生了几个影响。背景在英国，据估计，6%-7%的女性囚犯处于不同的怀孕阶段，每年约有100名被监禁女性生下婴儿。没有关于出生时或出生后不久从母亲身边带走的新生儿数量的确切数据。英国12所女子监狱中有6个母婴单元(MBU)，目前都没有得到充分利用。有关妇女与新生儿分离的研究报告显示了一种深深的失落感，但令人惊讶的是，很少有研究研究母亲与婴儿分离过程中涉及的专业人员和过程。这个项目将包括对涉及刑事司法系统(CJS)的孕妇的关键专业人员进行定性的半结构化访谈。已经或正在与婴儿分离的女性将被提供深入的面对面采访。该慈善机构、出生伴侣和他们的生活体验团队将作为该项目的顾问，帮助招募、介绍、就参与性信息、面试问题和同意书提供建议。将对所涉及的过程进行非参与者观察。PILOT STUDY这项建议是通过一项试点研究得出的，该研究涉及一组行为者(生育支持者)的意见，这些行为者负责照料与婴儿分离的妇女。这项工作是在博士后奖学金期间进行的，目的是为这项提议做准备。生育支持者认为，母亲与新生儿分离的做法会让女性面临：“大量的批评、指责、评判和真正的缺乏同理心。”如何收集数据PI将通过录音访谈探索被监禁妇女的经历，并花时间观察监狱环境。这将包括对过程和决策的观察，例如担任“母婴董事会”成员。通过录音访谈，将获得助产士、社会工作者、保健员(HV)和CJS工作人员的经验，以了解被监禁妇女与其婴儿分离的经历和决策。伦理和咨询团体顾问组，包括慈善机构和有生活经验的妇女，将为所有伦理决策提供信息。该项目将在诚信和透明的情况下进行，遵守ESRC关于研究道德的框架。PI与女性监狱庄园建立了牢固的联系，并继续志愿参与支持怀孕妇女和监狱中新妈妈的慈善助产士。这项研究的独特之处在于，它是第一个将社会工作、保健、助产和惩教中心工作人员的职业与女性囚犯的经历联系起来的项目。这项研究提出的建议有可能加强和进一步增进对妇女的经历和将新生儿从其被监禁母亲身边带走所涉及的程序的了解。该项目将有利于学术和卫生研究，特别是在健康和疾病犯罪学、助产学、保健访问和社会工作的社会学方面。

ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI)The PI was awarded a one-year, full time Mildred Blaxter Post-Doctoral Fellowship from The Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness in 2020. The first opportunity to undertake research was as a mature doctoral student with the project: An ethnographic study into the experiences of pregnant women in English prisons. This was successfully awarded in 2018. This research had several impacts through media, presentations, publications and a change in prison policy. BACKGROUNDIn the UK, it is estimated that 6-7% of the female prison population are at varying stages of pregnancy and approximately 100 babies are born to incarcerated women each year. There are no exact data of the numbers of newborn babies removed from their mother at or soon after birth. There are six Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) in the 12 women's prisons in the UK, currently, all underutilised. Accounts from research of women being separated from their new-born babies demonstrate a deep sense of loss, yet surprisingly little research has examined experiences of the professionals and processes involved in separating mothers from their babies. THE LOST MOTHERS PROJECTThis project will comprise qualitative semi-structured interviews of the key professionals involved with pregnant women who have Criminal Justice System (CJS) involvement. Women who have been or who are in the process of being separated from their babies will be offered an in-depth face-to-face interview. The charity, Birth Companions and their Lived Experience Team will act as consultants to the project helping with recruitment, introductions, advising on participatory information, interview questions and consent forms. Non-participant observation of the processes involved will take place.PILOT STUDYThis proposal has been informed by a pilot study of the views of one group of actors (birth supporters) attending women who were being separated from their babies. This was undertaken by the PI during the Post-Doctoral Fellowship, in preparation for this proposal. Birth supporters suggested that the approach to mothers being separated from their newborn babies' cause women to face: "a huge amount of criticism, blame, judgement and a real lack of empathy." HOW DATA WILL BE COLLECTEDThe PI will explore imprisoned women's experiences through audio-recorded interviews and spend time observing the prison environment. This will include observation of the processes and decision making, such as sitting the 'mother and baby board'. Through audio-recorded interviews, the experiences of midwives, social workers, health visitors (HVs) and CJS staff will be elicited to understand the experiences and decision making regarding imprisoned women being separated from their babies. ETHICS AND ADVISORY GROUPAn advisory group, including charities and women who have lived experience, will inform all ethics decision making. The project will be conducted with integrity and transparency, complying with the ESRC framework for research ethics. The PI has built strong links with the female prison estate and continues to volunteer with the charity Birth Companions supporting pregnant women and new mothers in prison. BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECTThe study is unique in that it is the first project to link the professions of Social Work, Health Visiting, Midwifery and CJS staff, with women prisoners' experiences at its heart. Recommendations arising from this research has the potential to build upon and further improve understanding of women's experiences and the procedures involved in removal of new-borns from their imprisoned mothers. The project will benefit academic and health research, notably in the sociology of health and illness criminology, midwifery, health visiting and social work.