This article presents the results of a study carried out in Finland on the position of children who accompany their parent to prison. The study consists of document analyses and staff and inmate interviews in the two Finnish prisons with special units for children. The results highlight the lack of information on children residing in prisons as well as the lack of guidelines for practice illustrated by the term “institutional invisibility.” The term “institutional invisibility” informs about the vagueness of the prison practices in relation to children and their parents.
Alejos, M. ( 2005). Babies and small children residing in prisons. Geneva, Switzerland: Quaker United Nations Office. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://www.quno.org/geneva/pdf/humanrights/women-in-prison/200503Babies-Small-Children-in-Prisons-English.pdf
2.
Bloom, B. ( 1993). Incarcerated mothers and their children: Maintaining family ties. In American Correctional Association (Eds.), Female offenders: Meeting needs of a neglected population (pp. 60-68). Baltimore: United Book Press.
3.
Brooks-Gordon, B., & Bainhamn, A. ( 2004). Prisoners’ families and the regulation of contact . Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 26, 263-280.
4.
Burman, E. ( 1995). Deconstructing developmental psychology. London: Routledge.
5.
Caddle, D. ( 1998). Age limits for babies in prison: Some lessons from abroad (Research Findings No. 80). London: Home Office. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/r80.pdf
6.
Caddle, D., & Crisp, D. ( 1997). Imprisoned women and mothers (A Research and Statistics Directorate Report. Home Office Research Study162). London: Home Office.
7.
Carlen, P. ( 2003). Women and punishment. The struggle for justice. Cullompton, UK: Willan.
8.
Catan, L. ( 1989). The development of young children in mother and baby units. London: Home Office Research and Planning Unit.
9.
Craig, S. ( 2009). A historical review of mother and child programs for incarcerated women. The Prison Journal, 89, 35S-53S.
10.
De Cou, K. ( 2003). A gender-wise prison? Opportunities for, and limits to, reform. In P. Carlen (Ed.), Women and punishment. The struggle for justice (pp. 97-109). Cullompton , UK: Willan.
11.
Edwards, R., & Mauthner, M. ( 2002). Ethics and feminist research: Theory and practice. In M. Mauthner, M. Birch, J. Jessop, & T. Miller (Eds.), Ethics in qualitative research (pp. 14-31). London: Sage.
12.
Eloff, I., & Moen, M. ( 2003). An analysis of mother-child interaction patterns in prison . Early Child Development and Care, 173, 711-720.
13.
Enroos, R. ( 2008). Vankila lapsuudessa-lapset vankilassa. Tutkimus lapsista, joiden elämää vankeus värittää [Prison in childhood-Children in prison. Study on children affected by imprisonment] (Publication 1). Helsinki, Finland: Rikosseuraamusvirasto.
14.
Enroos, R. (in press). Mothers in prison: Between the public institution and private family relations. Child & Family Social Work.
15.
Enroos, R., Pösö, T., & Vierula, T. ( 2006). Lapset vankilassa-Selvitys lapsista, jotka viettävät varhaislapsuuttaan vankilassa vangitun vanhemman kanssa [Children in prison-Report on children spending their early childhood in prison with a sentenced parent] . Childhood and Family Research Unit Net Series 3/2006. Tampere, Finland: Tampere University Press. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://tampub.uta.fi/childhood/951-44-6754-X.pdf
16.
Featherstone, B. ( 2004). Family life and family support-A feminist analysis. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
17.
Ferraro, K., & Moe, A. ( 2003). Mothering, crime and incarceration. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 32, 9-40.
18.
Forsberg, H., & Kröger, T. (Eds.). (2010). Social work and child welfare politics. Through Nordic lenses. Bristol , UK: Policy Press.
19.
Hairston, C. ( 1995). Fathers in prison. In K. Gabel & D. Johnston (Eds.), Children of incarcerated parents. (pp. 30-40). New York: Lexington Books.
20.
Hairston, C. ( 1998). The forgotten parent: Understanding the forces that influence incarcerated fathers’ relationships with their children. Child Welfare, 77, 617-639.
21.
Honkatukia, P., Nyqvist, L., & Pösö T. (2003). Sensitive issues in vulnerable conditions- Studying violence in youth residential care. Young, 11, 323-339.
22.
Johnston, D. ( 1995a). Effects of parental incarceration. In K. Gabel & D. Johnston (Eds.), Children of incarcerated parents (pp. 59-88). New York: Lexington Books.
23.
Johnston, D. ( 1995b). The care and the placement of prisoners’ children . In K. Gabel & D. Johnston (Eds.), Children of incarcerated parents (pp. 103-123). New York: Lexington Books.
24.
Kendrick A., Steckley L., & Lerpiniere J. ( 2008). Ethical issues, research and vulnerability: Gaining the views of children and young people in residential care. Children’s Geographies, 6, 79-83.
25.
Laki rangaistustentäytäntöönpanosta [Act on the implementation of criminal sanctions] 1889/39A.
26.
Lastensuojelulaki[Child Welfare Act] 417/2007.
27.
Luke, K. ( 2002). Mitigating the ill effects of maternal incarceration on women in prison and their children. Child Welfare, 81, 929-948.
28.
Myers, B., Smarsh, T., Amlund-Hagen, K., & Kennon, S. ( 1999). Children of incarcerated mothers. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 8, 11-25.
29.
Nuppola, H. ( 1954). Lapsen pitäminen vankilassa äitinsä mukana [Keeping children in prison with their mothers]. Unpublished study for the Prison Services Examination at theSchool of Social Sciences .
30.
Phillips, S., & Bloom, B. ( 1998). In whose best interest? The impact of changing public policy on relatives caring for children with incarcerated parents. Child Welfare, 77, 531-541.
31.
The Quaker Council for European Affairs. ( 2007). Women in prison. A review of the conditions in member states of the council of Europe. Quaker Council for European Affairs.
32.
Rikosseuraamusalan vuosikertomus. (2007). [Annual Report of the Criminal Sanctions Agency 2007]. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://www.rikosseuraamus.fi/uploads/kng0h7uqhyq.pdf
33.
Röbäck, K. ( 2005). Babies in prison-The Swedish example (Unpublished paper) . Göteborg, Sweden: Göteborgs Universitet. Institutionen för socialt arbete.
34.
Robertson, O. ( 2008, April). Children imprisoned by circumstance (Human Rights & Refugees Publications). [Electronic version] Geneva , Switzerland: Quaker United Nations Office. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://www.quno.org/geneva/pdf/humanrights/women-in-prison/200804childrenImprisonedByCircumstance-English.pdf
35.
Sandin, B., & Halldén, G. (Eds.). (2003). Barnets bästa-En antologi om barndomens innebörder och välfärdens organisering [Child’s best-An anthology on the meanings of childhood and welfare organization]. Stockholm/Stehag, Sweden: Brutus Östlings Bokförlag Symposion.
36.
Sharp, S., & Marcus-Mendoza, S. (2001). It’s a family affair: Incarcerated women and their families. Women and Criminal Justice, 12, 21-49.
37.
Stampe, A. ( 2004). Børnekonventionens rettigheder for små born i faengelser med foraeldre. Eksamensopgave [Children’s convention rights for small children in prisons with parents. Exam problem]. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark.
38.
Stanton, A. ( 1980). When mothers go to jail. Lexington, KY: Lexington Books.
39.
Travis, J., & Waul, M. ( 2003). Prisoners once removed. The impact of incarceration and reentry on children, families and communities. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press.
40.
Vankeinhoitolaitoksen vuosikertomus. (2005). [Annual Report of the Prison Service 2005]. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://www.rikosseuraamus.fi/uploads/39r1bdr.pdf
41.
Vankeuslaki [Prison Sentences Act] 767/2005.
42.
Vierula, T. ( 2008). Lastensa kanssa vankilassa olevat naiset instituution läpi tulkittuina. [Women residing in prison with their children construed through the institution] Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Tampere, Finland. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from http://tutkielmat.uta.fi/pdf/gradu02414.pdf
43.
Woodrow, J. ( 1992). Mothers inside, children outside. In R. Shan (Ed.), Prisoners’ children-What are the issues (pp. 29-40). London & New York: Routledge.
