Mother’s Day: Mothers and Prison

What makes a mother legitimate? Who has the right to be a mother in the United States? Are women who are incarcerated fallen women, prime examples of the patriarchal version of the Garden of Eden story and, thus, ineligible for legitimate motherhood? Do we feel love for our children? Do we miss them like women who have never been in prison? Yes, we do.

Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) is located about 20 miles North of Fresno, between Madera and Chowchilla and right across the road from Valley State Prison for Women (VSPW). Together, they form the largest women’s prison complex in the world with an incarcerated population of approximately 7,500.

Most of the prisoners at CCWF are mothers. On Friday, May 12, CCWF hosted the annual Get on the Bus (GOTB) event, uniting women prisoners with our children and loved ones, to honor Mother’s Day. GOTB day is organized and financially supported by various Catholic dioceses and a large number of other churches and organizations throughout the state. The main organizing work within the prison is spearheaded by Ms. Hansen of Friends Outside, a self-help group operating within and without California’s CDCR institutions. Staff from the prison allow the event to occur once a year.

This year, 189 women applied to take part in the festivities held in the prison’s Visiting Center. Only 46 weren’t approved. Denial of approval typically centers on parental custody or documentation issues.

California’s Southern dioceses handled the logistics for CCWF mothers because its prisoners come from all points South of Bakersfield. They bring the women’s children and other relatives and friends—sisters, mothers, aunts and uncles. For instance, Shirelle C.’s son lives in Elsinore. The Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino sponsored him.

The churches raise money privately to pay for the buses, breakfast, and dinner meals en route both ways, food in the Visiting Center for inmates and guests, a gift tote bag of art materials for each child and two Polaroid photos. They provide outreach services to help the kids come by assembling and paying for identification, birth certificates, and notary services.

On the big day, inmates come to the gym on the main yard. The night before, we receive ducats (an in-prison appointment pass) on the three facility yards for 9 a.m. As the buses come in from Southern California, women are called to the Visiting Center to meet with the children and other loved ones. This year, only three women in the gym were never called.

Usually the buses arrive between 10 and 11 a.m. Barbara T.’s mother and children came at 12:30 p.m. after a six and one-half hour trip. The visits last until 3:30 p.m. Last year, Shirelle C.’s family came late because the bus driver, who apologized, had overslept two hours.