Why Helping Mothers In Prison Helps Us All

Written by Stacey Shortall

When we talk about prisons in New Zealand, the conversation often focuses on punishment. Less often do we talk about what happens to the children of people behind bars.

Right now, hundreds of Kiwi kids are growing up with a mother in prison. Research tells us these children are more likely to struggle at school, more likely to experience trauma, and more likely to end up in prison themselves. That cycle of harm is intergenerational. If we are serious about breaking it, then we need to think differently about what happens inside our prisons.

This isn’t about excusing crime. People who break the law must be held accountable. But accountability and rehabilitation can, and should, go hand in hand.

That’s why I founded the Mothers Project nearly a decade ago. Every month, volunteer lawyers visit prisons to meet with mothers, helping them understand their legal rights as parents and stay connected with their children. Other volunteers visit monthly to help mothers record stories that their children can listen to from outside prison. Those voices cut through the prison walls, reminding mothers why change matters.

I’ll never forget the mother who said: “Reading a story out loud for daughter to hear reminded me I’m still her mum. It gave me hope.”

These are small things. But small things matter. They matter because children need to feel loved, and connected, even when their mum is locked away. They matter because a mother who is focused on her child is more motivated to turn her life around. And they matter because, when we keep families connected, we reduce the risk of reoffending and the chances of another child ending up in prison in the future.

We cannot ignore the fact that Māori are disproportionately represented in our prisons. That means Māori children are disproportionately carrying the burden of imprisonment. Supporting mothers to stay connected to their tamariki is one small but important step towards addressing that inequity.

Some will say prisons are for punishment, not parenting. But here’s the reality: the majority of women in prison will return to their families and our communities. The question is: in what state?

Do we want them released broken, disconnected, and more likely to reoffend? Or do we want them to come home with stronger family bonds, a reason to be crime-free, and hope for the future?

Helping mothers in prison is not soft on crime. It is smart on crime. It reduces harm, saves taxpayer money and, most importantly, gives children a better chance. This is because prisons don’t just hold people who commit crimes. They cast a long shadow over the families left behind. If we are serious about creating a safer New Zealand, we cannot afford to leave the children of imprisoned mothers in the dark.