Women prisoners unable to parent their children due to past traumas and addiction — study

'All participants spoke about past trauma and/or their histories of addiction prior to entering prison, with almost all addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.'

The majority of women in Irish prisons are mothers, with new research showing the trauma endured in their own childhoods can lead to drug addiction and a chaotic lifestyle — reducing the likelihood they will parent their own children.

The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Galway and features input from 62 mothers who, at the time of interview, were in the Irish prison system. Their memories of childhood trauma include sexual abuse and vicious beatings.