Still Forgotten? The Juggling Act of Remand Imprisonment on Maternal Figures

Remand custody has received little academic or policy attention, despite being a form of punishment that removes an individual immediately into prison for an unknown duration. While there has been growing international attention on prisoners’ children and families, the punitive impact of remand is ‘still forgotten’. Responding to this gap, 61 semi-structured interviews were conducted with loved ones (i.e., partners, parents, and friends) supporting a person in prison on remand in England and Wales. Data collected in 2018 and 2019 were then coded and thematically analysed. This paper focuses specifically on the juggling act that 16 mothers and grandmothers (as maternal figures) undertook as they engaged in ‘family practices’ to balance their own needs against those of other family members, including those in the community and their remanded adult (grand)children. Four subthemes exploring prison conditions and healthcare, violence, mental health, and supporting other family members are discussed, which sit within an overarching theme that found disrupted maternal practices and a lack of control. This article concludes that because remand is distinct, so are the experiences of maternal figures, necessitating nuanced support and further research and policy attention, so that remand experiences are no longer forgotten.