Are there really babies in prisons? Last week, the Women's Prison Association (WPA) released a national report, Mothers, Infants and Imprisonment, that examines the growing trend of prison nursery programs, now in nine states across the U.S. The report also looks at community-based residential parenting programs, which allow women to serve criminal justice sentences with their infants in a non-prison setting.

Research highlighted in the report indicates that these programs benefit mothers and children. As Dr. Angela M. Tomlin, adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, remarked, "Once a baby feels safe in a relationship, everything else-from cognitive skills, to school readiness, to positive mental health later in life-grows from that foundation. For mothers, a strong attachment to her baby may reduce the likelihood of recidivism. The prison nursery is an investment in the future, one mother and baby at a time."

Guest blogger Chandra Villanueva is a policy associate at the Women's Prison Association.

Greetings from Blue Mountain Center, which “offers working retreats for writers, artists, and activists,” and where I am fortunate to be participating in the first thematic residency here—on prison issues.

Photo by Tim Guthrie

The BMC staff assembled a gifted and inspiring group of people—some who write poetry, nonfiction, legislation, music, or scripts; others who teach and mentor; documentary filmmakers, painters, and installation artists; and individuals who do direct service, volunteer work, or other advocacy for people involved in the justice system. Some participants were once incarcerated and are telling their stories and working to reform the system.

We have come together for 2+ weeks from all over the United States and from Uruguay and England to gather in the town of Blue Mountain Lake in New York State’s Adirondack Mountains. When I’m not chasing runaway chickens (!) that wriggled out of their coop, I’m writing about the experience of and outcomes from last month’s three-day meeting, “Coming Home: An International Dialogue on the Role of Family in Prison Reentry,” which Family Justice convened at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Italy.

Now I find myself in another beautiful, tranquil setting at BMC, where I’m learning a lot—through informal conversations as well as presentations people give about their work. We’re also engaging in lively, thoughtful discussions about selected topics such as reentry or “imagining a movement.” Check out the talented company I am keeping at BMC—and people’s websites….

Yesterday, Jose Vasquez of the Osborne Association and I made a presentation to the NYC Workforce Development Summit held at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. I presented on the Family Justice approach and our award-winning tools and methods, while Jose discussed the program design, implementation, and impact of the employment services offered by Osborne Association, whose esteemed executive director, Elizabeth Gaynes, always publicly states that "families are the reentry resource of first resort."

Osborne is doing incredible work with individuals and families to help formerly incarcerated people find and maintain meaningful employment. We had a lively discussion with several workforce development professionals who were there to explore best practices and the importance of using the strength-based approach to incorporate families and social networks into their current efforts.

For me, the highlight of the presentation came when Josue Ramos, an employment specialist with the Osborne Association, spoke about his experiences with family case management at La Bodega de la Familia more than nine years ago. Josue discussed the positive impact that our case management approach had on his relationship with his father. Though our program, Josue was able to resolve many longstanding family issues, move forward in his life, and begin to be of significant help to others.

At its June 11 Annual Celebration event, Family Justice will honor two outstanding allies in the justice field. This week, we are profiling Anne J. Swern (at left), First Assistant District Attorney to Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. A prosecutor for more than 28 years, Ms. Swern currently supervises more than 1,000 employees in the DA's office. She oversees three substance abuse treatment courts, the Red Hook Community Justice Center and the Mental Health Court.

In addition, she is in charge of the nationally acclaimed Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) Program, the first prosecution-run program in the country to divert prison-bound men and women convicted of felonies into residential drug treatment. Ms. Swern also supervises the Treatment Alternatives for Dually Diagnosed (TADD) Program, an alternative to incarceration program which diverts mentally ill defendants into treatment. For these and other efforts, Ms. Swern will receive the Justice Leadership Award from Family Justice.

We hope you'll join us Thursday, June 11 to honor Anne Swern. Tune in next week for the profile of our second honoree.