What Life Is Like For Children Who Are Raised In Prison

The Infants Bond With Their Mothers Behind Bars

Dr. Janet Stockheim is a pediatrician who visits Bedford Hills Correctional Facility twice a month to check up on the babies who are living behind bars with their mothers. She believes the environment is actually beneficial to the infants and doesn’t cause them irreparable harm. They receive love and nurturing. “The babies aren’t aware. They get excellent care,” Stockheim commented. “They are very well bonded to the mothers… Bonding gives a baby trust in the world that they will be taken care of. The babies do better here than they would on the outside with some of these mothers.”