Grandmothering in the Context of Criminal Justice: Grandmothers in Prison and Grandmothers as Caregivers When a Parent is Imprisoned

When a mother of young children is imprisoned, pain and heartache are perhaps seen as inevitable, and have been relatively well documented. What is less well reported are the effects on grandmother carers, or the adult ‘children’ and grandchildren of imprisoned mothers; and indeed, the experiences of those older imprisoned mothers and grandmothers themselves. This essay will explore the experiences of grandmothers, both as prisoners, and as the cornerstone of families in despair, when they take the role of caregiver for imprisoned mothers’ children. It seeks to highlight the physical and emotional challenges that occur when grandmothering and incarceration collide.