PRISON FELLOWSHIP: incarcerated mothers

The children were headed to the prison's gym where they would meet their incarcerated mothers for a day of fun and memory-making.

God has made all of us to be leaders in the sphere of influence given to us. Some of the most important and precious work we do with prisoners is to help them realize that they, too, have this potential and calling to be leaders.

Motherhood is already a full-time job. Imagine how difficult it is for those moms facing an extra obstacle: incarceration.

What is it like to be a mother while in prison? Directed by Jenifer McShane, the documentary “Mothers of Bedford” explores the effects of long-term incarceration on mothers’ relationships with their children through the eyes of several women at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, New York.

This week, “America ReFramed” aired its feature-length documentary on the lives of incarcerated moms: “Mothers of Bedford.”

“America ReFramed” is a television series bringing its viewers a “snapshot of the transforming American life.”  Within the last few decades the number of incarcerated women in America has more than doubled, and today, 80 percent of female inmates are biological mothers to school-aged children.