Maternal Mediation in the Context of Fathers' Incarceration and Reentry

Abstract

Objective: We sought to develop grounded theory regarding how mothers who share children with an incarcerated father mediate between men and their offspring. Background: Mothers' mediation can be situated at the intersection of their motherwork and their prison work. Motherwork (Collins, 1994) refers to the paid and unpaid labor that mothers on the margins do to support their families and foster their children's survival. Prison work (Codd, 2007) involves the invisible labor of supporting persons during their incarceration and reentry. A focus on maternal mediation as a proximal process that bears on justice-involved families acknowledges the inherent tension between these domains. Method: We conducted a secondary analysis of interview data from 16 Australian mothers who had at least one child whose father had a history of incarceration. Results: We identified four patterns of maternal mediation: facilitation, monitoring, constraint, and disengagement. These types connected to aspects of women's motherwork, as well as the intensity of their efforts to support children's fathers. Conclusion: Mediation is a form of women's prison-motherwork, which reflects complex and shifting strategies that are influenced by children's developmental needs and preferences, mothers' feelings about children's fathers and their importance in children's lives, and time. Implications: Women would benefit from having specialized support and counseling throughout their partner's (or former partner's) carceral confinement and reentry.