What Life Is Like For Children Who Are Raised In Prison

Some Moms Use The Time To Get Clean & Get Their Lives Back On Track

The Decatur Correctional Center in Illinois opened its first nursery in 2007. By 2016, 73 mothers and 69 babies were part of the program. Kalee Ford was convicted on drug charges as a pregnant mom with two children. She was accepted into the program and enrolled in prenatal classes. Ford had a problem with methamphetamine and was hopeful that caring for her child in prison would put her life back on track: “I believe that everybody deserves at least one chance to fix mistakes that they’ve made,” she said. “My children didn’t do this, and they deserve to have me back.”