Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2019 Prison Nurseries and Social Work Practice Brooke Sheehan Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Social Work Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral study by Brooke Sheehan has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Yvonne Chase, Committee Chairperson, Social Work Faculty Dr. Debora Rice, Committee Member, Social Work Faculty Dr. Kristin Richards, University Reviewer, Social Work Faculty The Office of the Provost Walden University 2019 Abstract Prison Nurseries and Social Work Practice by Brooke Sheehan MSW, Springfield College, 2015 BS, Springfield College, 2013 Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Social Work Walden University November 2019 Abstract This study sought to examine what gaps existed in practice through the perspectives of correctional social workers in terms of helping incarcerated mother–infant dyads bond. Additionally, it examined whether a prison nursery was viewed as a possible option within a smaller correctional facility. Theories used to guide this study included attachment theory and separation-individuation theory, which align with the research questions that sought to explore gaps in services, supports that could be established, and program feasibility. Action research, using an anonymous online survey, resulted in N = 6 social work participants who worked as prison social workers in the northeast region of the United States. Data were coded using thematic analysis to explore latent and semantic themes. Conclusions drawn from the dataset include the restrictive nature of the prison setting being a barrier to promoting attachment. An increase in parenting classes, substance use programming, and mental health treatment was seen as beneficial for supporting attachment. Promoting childhood normalcy and having access to nature and play things was seen as integral to the development of a prison nursery program. A prison nursery was seen as feasible within a smaller correctional facility in the northeast. Potential positive social change resulting from these findings include development of specific interventions to maintain mother–infant bonding in small departments of correction. Prison Nurseries and Social Work Practice by Brooke Sheehan MSW, Springfield College, 2015 BS, Springfield College, 2013 Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Social Work Walden University November 2019 Acknowledgments I am filled with pride to have reached this milestone, the completion of my action research study. It is of utmost importance to me to give thanks to those who have made this achievement possible. I would like to start with thanking my husband, Dan Sheehan. Without your love and patience, I never would have been able to make a doctorate come true. This academic achievement means more to me than most will ever know, and I am so grateful to you for your support. I’d also like to thank my daughter for bringing me motivation and joy; I want you to know that women can achieve whatever they set their minds and hearts on, even when a goal seems lofty. Next I would like to express my extreme gratitude and thanks to my committee members. To my committee chair, Dr. Yvonne Chase, I’d like to sincerely thank you for your patience, willingness to be creative, and unflinching support. Your availability through e-mails and phone calls, even during the anxiety provoking times of the study, has made all the difference in my success. Thank you! Dr. Rice, I am exceptionally grateful for your accessibility and support even when the research process didn’t go as planned. I would also like to thank my university research reviewer Dr. Kristen Richards. Your feedback pushed me to do my best work as a research writer. Lastly, I’d like to thank my community partners for their support in this academic endeavor. This would not have been possible without you. Table of Contents Section 1: Foundation of the Study and Literature Review .................................................1 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................3 Purpose Statement ..........................................................................................................5 Nature of the Doctoral Project .......................................................................................7 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework ........................................................................8 Attachment Theory ..................................................................................................9 Separation-Individuation Theory ...........................................................................10 Values and Ethics .........................................................................................................11 Review of the Professional and Academic Literature ..................................................12 Literature Review Related to Key Variables/Concepts ...............................................14 Attachment .............................................................................................................14 Interrupted Attachment with Maternal Incarceration ............................................21 History of Women in Correctional Custody ..........................................................25 Prison Nurseries .....................................................................................................28 Prison Nurseries Outside the United States ...........................................................30 Additional Options and Concerns of the Critics ....................................................34 Summary ............................................................................................................................36 Section 2: The Project ........................................................................................................38 Research and Design ....................................................................................................38 Methodology ................................................................................................................40 Prospective Data ....................................................................................................40 i Participants .............................................................................................................42 Instrumentation ......................................................................................................42 Existing Data ................................................................................................................43 Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................43 Ethical Procedures .......................................................................................................45 Summary ......................................................................................................................45 Section 3: Presentation of the Findings .............................................................................47 Data Analysis Techniques............................................................................................48 Findings........................................................................................................................51 Gaps in Restrictive Nature of Prison Setting ...............................................................52 Programming, Treatment, and Other Supports Needed ...............................................54 Promoting Childhood Normalcy ..................................................................................59 Prison Nurseries as Implementable ..............................................................................60 Unexpected Findings ...................................................................................................62 Summary ......................................................................................................................62 Section 4: Recommended Solution ....................................................................................64 Application to Professional Ethics in Social Work Practice ........................................65 Recommendations for Social Work Practice ...............................................................66 Implications for Social Change ....................................................................................69 Summary ......................................................................................................................70 References ..........................................................................................................................72