In this episode, Paul Dosh speaks with Jane Silfen, the Director of Programs for Hour Children, a nonprofit organization that supports current and previously incarcerated women through educational, vocational, and family-oriented programs. Silfen leads the mother-child care initiatives at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in New York, which has the nation’s oldest prison nursery program. She describes the prison nursery’s rich history and the core values it was founded on, as well as how its initial mission has taken shape through the program’s accommodations and specialized services such as doulas, lactation consultants, and a full-time on-site manager. Finally, she describes the tactics that Hour Children utilizes to connect incarcerated women with their older children in order to strengthen the bonds of all types of families impacted by incarceration.
Children of Incarcerated Caregiver (“CIC”) is a nonprofit organization whose central mission is to research, identify, and implement solutions to enhance the lives of children affected by a parent’s incarceration. We strive to provide the latest and most accurate information regarding children affected by a parent’s incarceration. However, the podcasts posted on this website contain information that was presented as of the date each podcast was recorded. The information contained in any posted podcast may become outdated based on developments after recording. Some information contained in the podcasts is provided by third parties (such as interviewees), and CIC cannot and does not make any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of such information. CIC disclaims any liability related to the content of the podcasts posted to this website, other content presented on this website, and any CIC social media account.