This Is How the Criminal Justice System Traps Women and their Families

Women and girls are one of the fastest growing populations in America’s jails and prisons, and their numbers are increasing rapidly, even as incarceration rates fall for other demographics. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, more than 200,000 women were incarcerated in 2017. A new and illuminating piece in the New Yorker zooms in on Tulsa, Oklahoma, to explore the underlying reasons that drive the United States’ inhumanely high rates of mass incarceration.

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America’s Other Family-Separation Crisis

On a late-October morning two years ago, Robin Steinberg stood barefoot in her apartment, on the Upper West Side, preparing to uproot her life. Her suitcases were stacked by the door, her winter coats piled in the hallway. Steinberg, a fifty-nine-year-old native New Yorker, had decided to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to launch a legal startup. She laced up her sneakers and said goodbye to the bedrooms of her grown children, which she called “the shrines.” As she dragged her bags to her car, she told her doorman that she was going to cry. “I’m not good with change,” she said. He told her not to worry, and blew her a farewell kiss.

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'Living death': Study suggests having kids in foster care bad for mothers

 A new study out of the University of Manitoba shows kids are not the only ones affected by the child welfare system — mothers of children who have been taken into foster care see a significant deterioration in their health and social situation after apprehension.

The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, looked at the health records and other data of mothers whose first child was born in Manitoba between April 1998 and March 2011. Half of the mothers, just shy of 1,600 women, had their child taken into care after the age of two while the children of the other group of women remained in their care.

More >> 'Living death': Study suggests having kids in foster care bad for mothers

Mothers should be allowed to keep babies in prison, according to former Adelaide inmate

Ms Fisk, chairperson of the Seeds of Affinity support group for women with prison experiences, was first jailed at the age of 16.

More >> Mothers should be allowed to keep babies in prison, according to former Adelaide inmate

Mothers Talk Differently to Daughters than Sons: Study

Mothers Talk Differently to Daughters than Sons: Study

Most mothers would tell you they speak to all their children the same way. A new study suggests they might be deceived. In a study published yesterday in The British Journal of Developmental Psychology, authors Ana Aznar and Harriet Tenenbaum found that mothers are more likely to use emotional words and emotional content when speaking with their 4-year-old daughters than with their 4-year-old sons.

Note: That explains a lot.

Dr. Sujatha Ramakrishna: Let's not monkey around with kids' brains

Dr. Sujatha Ramakrishna: Let's not monkey around with kids' brains

Researchers at UW-Madison are preparing to use maternal deprivation to create a primate model of adversity-induced anxious and depressive disorders in human children. Led by Ned Kalin, they hope to discover new therapies by dissecting and analyzing the brains of baby monkeys who have been intentionally traumatized.

DOJ: Children Do Not Need—and Have No Right to--Mothers

DOJ: Children Do Not Need—and Have No Right to--Mothers


The Obama Justice Department is arguing in the United States Supreme Court that children do not need mothers.

From Irina

The following was submitted via the Content Submission form above.

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My name is Irina Viktorovna Vinogradova. I was born in Russia on 11 March 1969, I am only Russian citIzen. I live in New Caledonia from September 2007 and I am married here with a french from 07 November 2007. I born our son Alexandre G. on 17 June 2008 in Noumea, New Caledonia, where we still live, he is French and Russian sitizen. In March 2010 I noticed a change in my son's behavior. He was very disturbed and sick for 2 months. At the end of May 2010, my son was sick again and on May 23, 2010, sperm flowed from his anus on his shorts. May 25, 2010, I made ​​a statement (REF: PV: 10/3869/SU - RP: A) in the national police in Noumea New Caledonia, against the person Х. And let a prove - red shorts of my son with trace of sperm. But prosecutor refused with an expertise 4,5 months later and police closed our case. I was refused by laboratory to give son's shorts back for an independent expertise But a week later I was called by menadger of this laboratory and he said what court has to do all in order to the child has never alone with his father. And in the end, the sorts were lost. In December 2010, I complained to the gendarme office because of the sexual abuse of our son and domestic violence. My husband spent two days in custody. And we didn't have any investigations about violance against the son.
But in March 2011 the court gave son to his father for all time and I had to leave the house during 1 months as mother paranoid but I was at home as long as possible to protect my son from his father.
In the end of April 2011 I had to go to Australia to Sydney to change my passport. I couldn't take my son with me because the husband refused child went with me for one week. And I let my son with my mother-in-law that is with his grandmother. When I came back in the afternoon 30 April I found my son totally ill. Two times I went with son to the urgency for the medical examine of the child. One of examinations was done in presence of social worker from APEJ. After that doctor asked who gave the child to the father and he sent a fax to the prosecutor at the same day, but it was no reaction from the court. 
3 months later on 12 July 2011, the son was taken from his father because of the letter from another doctor who did the medical observation of the child as well. But before June 28, 2011 I was get rid from home by my husband. After I lived with a girlfriend in her house during one month but my son was placed in foster care. After all of the little suffered, suddenly my son was among strangers. What a nightmare!
Later, this doctor wrote a letter to the police to investigate the application against child abuse. The police sent me with this letter to the prosecutor, but she refused to complete the survey.
The first of August 2011 I moved into my 2 rommed apartment where I prepared all very well for my son at the same time and I live alone, but the Judge decided to leave my son in the foster care, even when all examens about myself were very good. Only a psychiatrist says I'm paranoid after meeting with me an hour with a translator. He didn't any test. But another psychiatrist, which made very intense and specific test, said that I am normal. This was not accepted by the judge. The son has not even conducted a psychiatric examination normal. And from July 2011 antill November 2011 I had right to meet my son only 1 hour a week.
From November 2011 I have right to meet my child 2 times a month by 4 hours, the same was for his father just on another time, but the Court of Apeal in April 2012 gave more rights to his father and now he can meet son each week and to be alone with him, even now the Court of Noumea make practic to give son to his father with nights even with out informing me and my lawyer. As for me, I was refused to meet my son even for mothers day. And there is a risk what child can be given back to his father in November 2012. My mother's rights are violated! there is nothin against me, but my son lives as if he has no mother. And by husband I was introduced as the nurce, made and surrogate mother for own son. I have no contact with the husband or with his family.
Also the husband robbed 2 french passports of the son and these documents are never come back to my child and my son let the territory of New Caledonia just once in November 2008 for 2 weeks. I dared to stand up to protect my child and now my mothers rights are under violance. Also I was illegally denied with a residence permit for 10 years in November 2011. Being looking for the help everywhere I still have one hope to bring my defenseless little boy back to me, is to address this petition to all not indifferent people of our planet and asking to sign it. Please help, kind people! Page of my son Child protection with documents from our dossier in the Court https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.356395441097910.75802.338334222904032&type=3 URGENT ACTION, URGENT CALL!!! Please sign my petition and share with others! That is too important for me, there is life of my child! Help us, please! http://www.change.org/petitions/i-need-your-help-to-bring-my-son-back-to-me Sincerely, irina Viktorovna Vinogradova my skype - irinaviktorovnavi

Rick Santorum To Single Mothers: Government Paternity Tests Or No Welfare

Rick Santorum To Single Mothers: Government Paternity Tests Or No Welfare

GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum has yet to deliver a substantial blow to Mitt Romney's rival campaign. In the past two pivotal primary contests in battleground states, the former senator from Pennsylvania fell short, losing by squeaker margins in Michigan and Ohio. He may owe those defeats to his women problem.

Senate committee votes to lift age cap on public breastfeeding

Senate committee votes to lift age cap on public breastfeeding

State senators voted Wednesday to allow mothers to breastfeed children of any age in public, setting aside concerns that it might open the door to “weird things” involving bar patrons.

Time Magazine Urges Changes to Hague Convention to Help Mothers Who Abduct Their Children

Time Magazine Urges Changes to Hague Convention to Help Mothers Who Abduct Their Children

In Protecting Kids: Rethinking the Hague Convention (12/10/10), Time magazine uses a study that’s so bad as to be almost spurious to promote the article’s astonishing anti-father bias.

Bill O'Reilly: Jen Aniston's Pro-Single Mom Remarks Are "Destructive"

Bill O'Reilly: Jen Aniston's Pro-Single Mom Remarks Are "Destructive"

Bill O'Reilly has a new enemy: Jen Aniston.

He is slamming The Switch star, 41, for saying that women don't need men to have kids.

Mother's Day wish to better lives of women in prison

Mother's Day wish to better lives of women in prison

Legislators and advocates for women behind bars in New York used the proximity of Mother's Day to push for three bills designed to improve the status of the state's prison population and, by extension, their families.

'Interrupted Life' Series calls attention to imprisoned mothers and their children

'Interrupted Life' Series calls attention to imprisoned mothers and their children

Dave was only nine years old when his mother was arrested. Left alone, he took care of his baby brother for the next few weeks until a neighbor found out and called Child Protective Services. He has lived in a foster home ever since and never found out why his mother went to prison.

Surrogate Mothers

It's a staggering statistic. 1 in 7 couples have fertility issues. Some have no choice but to hire a surrogate mother to carry their child for them. Surrogate moms can be very pricey. Some charge 10's of thousands of dollars and that's not counting medical bills. One Valley couple says they found someone to carry their baby for free. Fox 10's Miriam Garcia has their amazing story.

Kan. mom jailed for contempt

Kan. mom jailed for contempt

A homeschooling mother whose daughter was removed from their home following a mistaken truancy report was jailed for contempt Friday after refusing to say where the 14-year-old has been since fleeing state custody in October.

Teen arrested after allegedly stabbing stepfather in San Carlos

Teen arrested after allegedly stabbing stepfather in San Carlos

Lee County Sheriff's deputies found Jason Pinkerton, 31, of Fort Myers shortly before midnight at the corner of Trellis and Oriole roads, according to spokesman John Sheehan. He was sitting in the front seat of his car with multiple stab wounds. As they applied first aid, Pinkerton told deputies his stepson Justin Tetreault, 16, had stabbed him.

Teen charged after taking baby

Teen charged after taking baby

An Amber Alert was issued after 6-month-old Desiree Waddell was taken from the Alexandria foster home by her mother, 15-year-old Chelsey Waddell, who does not have custody of the infant.

Mom who deserted back home after Army discharge

Mom who deserted back home after Army discharge

An El Cajon mom who was arrested a week ago for deserting the Army 10 years ago is back home after being administratively discharged from duty.

Windsor woman found delivering twins in snow bank

Windsor woman found delivering twins in snow bank

Newborn twins are recovering at a Windsor hospital after their mother gave birth in the street under unusual circumstances just before midnight on Tuesday.
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