Mothering Behind Bars: Lived Experiences of Female Offenders at Johannesburg Correctional Facility, Gauteng Province

Abstract

The percentage of female offenders who are single mothers of minor children is a growing concern among the total female incarceration population in South Africa and globally. This study aimed to explore how expectations about mothering bear out for incarcerated mothers who are physically separated from their children. The experience of motherhood was captured using face-to-face interviews with a guide of semi-structured questions with eight (8) incarcerated mothers at Johannesburg correctional facility, Gauteng province, South Africa. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) couched with Social Identity Theory (SIT) and revealed that circumstances that led to maternal pathways differed from the literature. The findings of this study provided a foundation of how the social context, together with maternal obligation, influences behaviours that women internalise, and which lead to offending behaviours. This warrants further research in an effort to curb and prevent maternal incarceration.

Diphesente tša bagolegwa ba basadi ba go hloka balekani ba e lego bommagobana ba bannyane ke tlhobaboroko go palomoka ya basadi bao ba golegilwego ka Afrika Borwa le lefaseng ka bophara. Maikemišetšo a nyakišišo ye e be e le go nyakišiša maitemogelo a bagolegwa ba basadi bao ba godišago bana ba le kgolegong, le go kwešiša maitemogelo a bona a gore ba bopa bjang ditšhupo tša godiša bana le kwešišo ye ba e amantšhago le go godiša bana. Nyakišišo ye e laeditše maitemogelo a bagolegwa ba basadi bao ba arogantšwego le bana ba bona. Boitemogelo bja go ba mma bo dirilwe ka go šomiša mokgwa wa dipoledišano ka tlhahlo ya bommagobana bao ba golegilwego ba seswai (8) ka dipotšišo tše di beakantšwego pele go kgoboketša datha ka maitemogelo a bona a go ba batswadi bao ba lego ka kgolegong ka Johannesburg, Profense ya Gauteng, Afrika Borwa. Datha e sekasekilwe ka go šomiša mokgwa wa go sekaseka maitemogelo ka Teori ya Boitšhupo bja Setšhaba gomme e laeditše gore mabaka a go dira gore ba godiše bana a fapana le ao a lego ka gare ga dingwalwa. E laeditše gore mabaka a go swana le Tlaišo ka Balekane, mathata a ditšhelete le go nyaka go hlokomela bana ke mabaka a magolo ao a ilego a gapeletša batswadi ba bagolegwa go dira bosenyi. Dikutollo tša nyakišišo ye di laeditše ka moo maemo setšhabeng, le maikarabelo a botswadi, a amago maitshwaro a basadi gomme ba fetše ba dira bosenyi. Se ke lebaka la gore go dirwe dinyakišišo tše di tseneletšego gore go fedišwe le go thibela go golegwa ga batswadi.

Isifinyezo esiqukethe umongo wocwaningo Amaphesente enani labenza amacala abangomama ababodwa abanezingane ezincane aya ngokukhula ngendlela ekhathazayo eNingizimu Afrika. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuphenyisisa ngezipiliyoni zabesimame abenza amacala abongomama ababoshiwe ukuqondisisa ngezipiliyoni zempilo yabo nokuthi bakubona kanjani ukuba ngomama kanye nencazelo yabo abayibeka kwindima yokuba ngomama. Lolu cwaningo belunenhloso yokuhlaziya ngokuthi kulindeleke kanjani ukuba ngomama kubantu abangomama ababoshiwe abahlukaniswa nezingane zabo. Izipiliyoni zokuba ngomama zabhekwa ngokwenza ama-interview ubuso nobuso ngokuholwa yimibuzo ebhaliwe yama-semi-structured eyabuzwa komama abasyisishagalombili (8) ababoshwe kwifasilithi yokuqondisa izimilo eJohannesburg, kwiprovinsi yaseGauteng, eNingizimu Afrika. Ulwazi lwahlaziwa ngokusebenzisa uhlaziyo lwe-Interpretative phenomenological analysis olalusekelwa yi-Social Identity Theory olwaveza ukuthi izimo ezenza ukuphambuka kwabesimame zehlukile kunemibhalo. Lwakhombisa izinto ezifana nodlame olwenzeka kubalingani olwaziwa njenge-Intimate Partner Violence, kanye nezihibe ngokwezimali, kanye nezidingo zokufezekisa indima yokuba ngomama, kwaba yizinto ezinkulu ezinomthelela kwababoshiwe abangomama kwindlela yokuziphatha yobugebengu. Okutholwe wucwaningo kuhlinzeke ngesisekelo sokuthi isimo sezenhlalisano, kanye nezibopho zokuba ngomama, kunomthelela kanjani kwindlela yokuziphatha komama, nokuziphatha okuholela ekwenzeni amacala. Lokhu kudinga ukuthi kwenziwe futhi olunye ucwaningo, ngemizamo yokuvimbela ukuboshwa kwabesimame.