New Zealand: Dr. Jacqui Johnson on the Spatial, Temporal, and Social Contradictions within Mothers with Babies Units (Episode 3)

Joining Barbara Frey is Doctor Jacqui Johnson, a family response violence specialist at Oranga Tamariki—New Zealand’s Ministry for Children. In this episode, Dr. Johnson discusses her Ph.D. research on "Monitored Mothering," an ethnographic study on the experiences of mothers who parent in New Zealand’s Mothers with Babies Units, or MBUs. She describes the social, temporal, and spatial environment of the unit with a focus on impacts on the child and on the mother-child relationship. Exploring the dual roles held by prison custodial staff, mothers, and the unit itself, Dr. Johnson outlines the nuances and contradictions that arise when nursery programs take place in correctional facilities. Transcript (English) [PDF]