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VIDEO: Special Report On Moms Behind Bars

Not only is the Ohio Reformatory for Women considered the oldest women's prison in Ohio, it is the state's largest female prison with 2,500 inmates. In a lot of ways, it's exactly what you'd expect. And then, there's the unexpected. Ohio's prison is also home to those found guilty of no crime--nine babies. Their mothers are inmates. In most cases, babies born in prison are whisked away within hours, to relatives or foster care, but at this facility the infants move in with mom, behind bars... Read more: Commentary: Raising A Son While Daddy's In JailExclusive: Michael Vick On What He Learned In Jail
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ESSENCE, the Grio, and NBC’s Mara Schiavocampo look at a growing number of prison nursery programs. Not only is the Ohio Reformatory for Women considered the oldest women’s prison in Ohio, it is the state’s largest female prison with 2,500 inmates. In a lot of ways, it’s exactly what you’d expect. And then, there’s the unexpected. Ohio’s prison is also home to those found guilty of no crime–nine babies. Their mothers are inmates. In most cases, babies born in prison are whisked away within hours, to relatives or foster care, but at this facility the infants move in with mom, behind bars. To read Mara Schiavocampo’s feature in the May issue of ESSENCE Magazine, click here. Check out The Grio’s coverage here. Read more: