Mother’s to serve prison sentence at home

A fascinating move by the judicial system in California. Mothers who have been convicted of non serious and non sexual offenses, serve the rest of their sentences at home.

In a bold move by the judicial system to drastically reduce over crowding in prisons female inmates are being reunited with their families and ordered to serve the rest of their prison terms in their homes.

I have a lot of concerns and comments about this kind of ruling.

One concern I have is the issue of fairness with regards to the ruling and gender. The mother’s role in the family is being emphasized and stereotypes about incest, rape, and violent culture cycles. While I think a mother’s role is important, the idea that father who has been committed of a non serious or non sexual offense could not serve out the remainder of his term at home is unequal. Parents of both genders could benefit from being reunited with family and offspring in order to assist in their rehabilitation.

I think this program, if it is to be implemented at all, should most certainly be expanded into the male inmate population.

Also the idea that women are being released from prison because they do not have “non sexual” offenses is ludicrous. Their lifestyles, which put them into the prison system, could potentially place their children at risk for violence and sexual assault. It also perpetuates the stereotype that women cannot be rapists.

I am wondering how this is really going to help relief economic tension on the state of California. True, many children who are in foster care will be placed back in homes with their biological parents, but how will those parents who are serving their sentence at home, financially support themselves and their children? How will they procure jobs which will provide enough income for everyone? When they attend school, how will the qualify for financial aid? Can they be trusted not to default on their student loans? Will these inmates be able to provide emotional resources to their children or curb their own children’s proclivity for crime?