Ann,
In a previous incarnation I worked overseas as a juvenile probation
officer for a year as part of my social work training. In my limited
experience, probation officers are people like everyone else and they
try to help their "charges" make it in the world. Can you talk with the
probation officer, find out the details of the situation. What would
happen if this mom brought her baby with her to prison for the weekends
that she'll be there? Can she postpone the prison time till the baby is
older? Can she spread them out, so it's not three weekends in a row? As
far as I know having babies that young stay with their moms is unusual
but not unprecedented. The baby does not have complicated needs right
now, just to be near Mom. It will take some special arrangements, but
not that much. If she is going to prison for a few weekends, we're not
talking about a high security prison, or a dangerous situation, I don't
think.
What would the probation officer need to know in order to work
something out? What do you need to know about the situation in order to
make some suggestions about possible arrangements? How close is the
prison to where the Mom lives now? Is there a family member (or perhaps
the dad) who could help out, bring the baby to Mom a couple of times,
collect pumped milk. In general, even babies who refuse bottles will
take them when there is no alternative and they are hungry.

Does she have a lawyer who could help try to work something out?

Keep us posted on this.

Naomi Bar-Yam

--------------------------------
Naomi Bar-Yam Ph.D.
[log in to unmask]

Researcher, Writer, Educator
in Maternal and Child Health
--------------------------------

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