Prison & kids

davet82

I know a girl who regularly brings her 6 year old son into Mountjoy prison to visit his uncle, I personally wouldn’t subject my kids to that environment for a near relative nor ask my own children visit me in such a place if I found myself in that situation (depending on my sentence I suppose).

Is this being overprotective having this attitude or are kids resilient enough? Would you want your kids seeing you locked up or would you bring your kids in to see a relative?

curious

Sykk

A prison is no place for a child. But depending on the circumstances, the man could be in there for something stupid, and God knows people are thrown in jail for stupid things nowadays, so perhaps she is making things a little easier on the uncle while serving his time?

Or he could be a pikey who stabbed his girlfriend to death and the mother is inbred with the IQ of a carrot.

Who knows? In any case don't judge a book etc.

Caveman1

Maybe it'll show the kid how bad of a place it is and make him not want to ever have to stay there?

Born to Die

It might have the affect of showing the 6 year old that this is what happens if you live outside the law. Might be a good thing, the kid may lead a positive fulfilling life because they see this side of life.

davet82

The kid wears it like a badge of honor, he's a good kid which makes me sorry to see. I reckon its desensitised him more than anything

Dravokivich

Wouldn't want young kids in a prison to visit relatives. Kids are by their nature impressionable and I'd be concerned that some sort of association with prison could become glorified, or missplaced contempt for the justice system created because of a relative being detatched from society.

Davidth88

I used to drive past Cloverhill/Wheatfield Prison every day. The saddest sights you saw IMO were the little ones in their communion get ups I assume going to visit one or other of their parents.

I think it's not a nice thing .

Conall Cernach

I've been in to visit someone in Mountjoy before and there is no way on Earth I'd bring a child into the waiting rooms there. You'd need one of those toxic waste suits to go to the jacks they're so filthy.

membersonly

They're probably handy for smuggling in drugs and mobile phones though, no one ever suspects the kid.

davet82

Davidth88 wrote: »

I used to drive past Cloverhill/Wheatfield Prison every day. The saddest sights you saw IMO were the little ones in their communion get ups I assume going to visit one or other of their parents.

I think it's not a nice thing .

I have to say that really is a pitiful sight to see I say, their children are just as much victims of their crimes as who maybe the perpetrated them against, sad

girl in the striped socks

I suppose if you have a child acting the pr!ck it's an ideal place to bring them in to scare the crap out of them :pac:

Run_to_da_hills

membersonly wrote: »

They're probably handy for smuggling in drugs and mobile phones though, no one ever suspects the kid.

Prison officers would be very wise to any of that.

benway

Dravokivich wrote: »

contempt for the justice system created because of a relative being detatched from society.

I don't see that kids would need to visit the prison to feel like this, especially if it's a close relative.

It's an impossible situation - what's worse, exposing children to the prison or severing their relationship with someone they're close to? Very tough for a prisoner to have no contact with their kids, say.

I served a summons in Arbour Hill years ago, dunno what was going on but there were a bunch of toddlers in a waiting room on my way in, struck me as very odd, given the nature of the place.

Ms. Captain M

Won't somebody please think of the children!

Obviously it's far from ideal but the children might be missing their parent/relative and want to visit them.

Dravokivich

benway wrote: »

I don't see that kids would need to visit the prison to feel like this, especially if it's a close relative.

I'm not saying there wouldn't be a chance of that from not visiting.

davet82

Ms. Captain M wrote: »

Won't somebody please think of the children!

Obviously it's far from ideal but the children might be missing their parent/relative and want to visit them.

parent maybe, relatives no... lots of aunts and uncles go to australia lets say and kids dont get to see them, so why take the risk?

WindSock

I think it is more important that the child gets to see their parent and talk to them, and for the inmate. They dont want to be estranged when they are released.
Also the visits are the best things they have to look forward to while in there. A lot of them really cherish the things their kids bring them.

davet82

WindSock wrote: »

A lot of them really cherish the things their kids bring them.

like drugs?

seriously though the parent i can see its the best of a bad situation but for other relatives, imo, i just wouldnt go there

membersonly

I watched The Shawshank Redemption when I was a child and I turned out just fine.

davet82

membersonly wrote: »

I watched The Shawshank Redemption when I was a child and I turned out just fine.

i'm not so sure ya did...

Giselle

WindSock wrote: »

I think it is more important that the child gets to see their parent and talk to them, and for the inmate. They dont want to be estranged when they are released.
Also the visits are the best things they have to look forward to while in there. A lot of them really cherish the things their kids bring them.

Exactly, not maintaining contact might be even more traumatising for the kid.

If that uncle is very close to the kid it can only do them both good to keep up contact. Wouldn't be much good if they were strangers on release.

token101

You start cutting people off entirely from their kids and that's going to f*** prisoners up even more. They're going to get pissed at the guards, making it unsafe for them, and society, making them even more dangerous when they come out. It'll also cut the kid off, meaning they're suffering for something they didn't do and then they're going to start causing hassle and trouble, turning them into a problem for society. Any parent with a bit of cop on would know that.

But if prisoners get the odd visit, they have something to live for, hopefully making them a bit more mellow and likely to cooperate in and out of prison, and they know if they f*** around inside prison they'll miss out on those important visits, making it safer for the guards. Maybe the odd few might even get the message that they'd have a lot more time with their kids if they were on the outside and might stop them f****** up again. It's obviously not the same for all prisoners, but if it works for the odd few, then you're giving them a bigger chance to rehabilitate and ultimately saving public money by keeping them out of prison.

On a somewhat related note, whatever about 'hard drugs', I'd would have thought that prison guards would be delighted that prisoners would have people bring in weed/hash. A mellow prisoner is a lot easier to control than a guy who's strung out from missing out on his smoking.

angry kitten

I think in the case of Limerick prison visiting day must be like a family reunion for a lot of kids. Some have their Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers and assorted relatives all serving sentences in there. Probably the same in other prisons. In my opinion kids should be taken away from repeat offending families.

Leo Dowling

I was brought to see an uncle in prison when I was quite young. I didn't think anything of it really, I kind of thought he worked there or was based there like in the army. I was glad to see him and he was glad to see me.

I'd be more worried about exposing kids to hospitals where people have tubes hanging out of them and the like, that's far more un-nerving.