Nearly half of the women incarcerated at York Correctional Institution are mothers. That is why the prison in Niantic is taking steps to help them maintain bonds with their kids by building a playground.
The brand-new play area opened Tuesday, complete with swings, slides and a jungle gym.
Warden Trina Sexton says the space is open to incarcerated moms and their kids during visitation, and will also be used for special programs.
"We're coming off three years of these women not seeing their children during COVID. That is quite an impact,” Sexton said. “We know that women really need that family support, that family structure and that interaction with their children. So for them to be able to come here and have that, that is going to have a ripple effect across the compound."
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The $50,000 playground was paid for with funds obtained from the General Assembly by the Connecticut Children with Incarcerated Parents Initative out of UConn.
It will serve about 400 mothers at York Correctional Institution, as well as thousands of incarcerated moms and their kids for decades to come.
“Sometimes incarcerated parents don't want their children to visit because they're concerned that it's not the best environment is not very welcoming. But studies show how important it is for children's health and wellbeing to continue engagement and to actually see and touch their parent,” Aileen Keays, UConn’s Connecticut’s Children with Incarcerated Parents Initiative manager, said.
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Keays adds that research points to family connections during incarceration being key to reducing recidivism.
