Panel brings female prisoners' dilemma to light
Online Exclusive
By: Ben Baden, Staff Writer
Issue date: 1/16/08 Section: University
People increasingly are being put in prison in North Carolina, and many of these inmates are mothers who might lose their children while incarcerated.
To overview the plight of these women, the Stone Center held a discussion Tuesday night titled "Incarcerated Women: Challenges to Criminal Justice System." Natalie Bullock Brown, co-host of UNC-TV's program "Black Issues Forum," moderated the talk.
Meg Scott Phipps, the former agriculture commissioner in North Carolina who spent three years in prison for extortion, conspiracy and mail fraud, served as one of the three panelists.
"In the three years I spent in prison, I met some great women who need our help," Phipps said.
The discussion focused on women who are separated from their children in prison and the effect that separation has.
Phipps discussed how quickly children can be taken away from women while serving their sentences.
"Within 18 months, children are put up for adoption, no questions asked," Phipps said.
Melissa Radcliff, executive director of Our Children's Place, was another panelist. The organization aims to keep these incarcerated mothers and their children together.
Our Children's Place is slated to open in 2009 in Butner, and its mission is to house women who have committed nonviolent crimes, have been assigned short stays in prison and have children not yet in kindergarten.
The organization plans to start with about 10 women who would have served their sentences by the time their children enter school.
"Children with parents in prison are six times as likely to become involved in the prison system," said Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, another panelist. She also serves on the board of directors for Our Children's Place.
At the forum, Kinnaird voiced her concerns with the prison system in North Carolina and the federal system.
"No other place, except maybe China, puts people in prison at the rate we do," Kinnaird said. "When we are incarcerating this many women with children, we are incarcerating an entire generation."
To overview the plight of these women, the Stone Center held a discussion Tuesday night titled "Incarcerated Women: Challenges to Criminal Justice System." Natalie Bullock Brown, co-host of UNC-TV's program "Black Issues Forum," moderated the talk.
Meg Scott Phipps, the former agriculture commissioner in North Carolina who spent three years in prison for extortion, conspiracy and mail fraud, served as one of the three panelists.
"In the three years I spent in prison, I met some great women who need our help," Phipps said.
The discussion focused on women who are separated from their children in prison and the effect that separation has.
Phipps discussed how quickly children can be taken away from women while serving their sentences.
"Within 18 months, children are put up for adoption, no questions asked," Phipps said.
Melissa Radcliff, executive director of Our Children's Place, was another panelist. The organization aims to keep these incarcerated mothers and their children together.
Our Children's Place is slated to open in 2009 in Butner, and its mission is to house women who have committed nonviolent crimes, have been assigned short stays in prison and have children not yet in kindergarten.
The organization plans to start with about 10 women who would have served their sentences by the time their children enter school.
"Children with parents in prison are six times as likely to become involved in the prison system," said Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, another panelist. She also serves on the board of directors for Our Children's Place.
At the forum, Kinnaird voiced her concerns with the prison system in North Carolina and the federal system.
"No other place, except maybe China, puts people in prison at the rate we do," Kinnaird said. "When we are incarcerating this many women with children, we are incarcerating an entire generation."
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