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Mothers

Sending Kites June 16
How to Parent From Prison
Incarcerated people from around the country share their advice.
By and
Redemption Songs May 10
A Prison Lullaby for Mother’s Day
Krystal Lowe wrote and recorded this song for her 2-year-old in a Kansas prison. Instead of baby talk, she urges her daughter to know her worth.
By
A photo shows a White woman with blond hair holding her baby and pressing her face to the baby’s head inside a prison dorm room. The baby is in a pink onesie, and there are baby clothes and other supplies around the room.
The Frame May 8
Raising Innocence
An Indiana Women’s Prison unit gives incarcerated people a place to raise their newborns on the inside, rather than forcing them to give their babies up after birth.
By Maddie Mcgarvey
An illustration shows the head and shoulders of Kwaneta Harris, a Black woman with long hair. She is wearing a white shirt, and several images surround her. Clockwise from the bottom left are: a child on the phone, some pink flowers, a flower with petals made of newspaper articles and letters, another young person on the phone, and a window with a white lace curtain. Birds are visible through the window. The background of the illustration is peach-colored.
Life Inside May 8
For This Mom in Prison, Mother’s Day Is a Blessing and a Curse
Kwaneta Harris has missed every single Mother’s Day with her 19-year-old. That means walking on eggshells, icy politeness and the occasional mom joke.
By Kwaneta Harris
An illustration shows a woman, in shades of purple and orange, facing the right side of the image, holding a phone to her ear that is connected to a coiled cord. Five beige rectangular boxes surround her. Clockwise from the lower left, the boxes show silhouettes of a gun, another gun, a sword, a rifle, and bullets.
Life Inside March 6
Mom’s Last Gun
My mother has severe mental illness. Our family has spent decades trying to keep her from using firearms to hurt herself and others.
By Kelli Caldwell
A woman sits in silhouette in front of a large glass window. She's inside an office, sitting on a chair and hunched over with her hands folded on her lap.
Closing Argument August 14, 2025
Drug Overdoses Are Skyrocketing Among Mothers. Why Is Rehab Unavailable?
In her new book, ‘Rehab: An American Scandal,’ Shoshana Walter explores how the giant substance treatment industry keeps failing many people desperate for help.
By
A pregnant woman wearing an orange prison uniform places her hand on her belly.
Closing Argument May 10, 2025
Why We Still Don’t Have Enough Solid Data on Pregnancy in Prison
A new report sheds light on pregnant people behind bars, but misses their lived experience.
By
An illustration of a pink-colored woman sitting on a chair with her back to the viewer, holding a phone, while her young, bushy-haired son sits across from her, one hand holding a phone to his ear and his other on his face in a distraught pose.
Life Inside October 18, 2024
Life Inside, Remixed: The Emotional Toll of Visiting a Son in Jail
Ymilul Bates’ first visit to her son exposed her to cold, distant corrections officers and left her with a question: Did they know her son was loved?
By The Marshall Project
A White woman with long brown hair wears an orange shirt.
Methodology September 1, 2022
How We Tracked Prosecutions for Pregnancy Loss
Where we got our data and how we analyzed it.
By and
Life Inside April 29, 2022
My Son Nacear Was Killed on Memorial Day. It Took Me Two Years to Cry.
I was taking care of his kids, going to work, and helping my other children process their brother’s murder. I couldn’t have accomplished what I needed to if I had cried sooner.
Johndell Gredic, as told to
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