When mothers are incarcerated, entire families pay the price

Community-based sentences can help change that →

Pamela,   Jemi Brown is a peer recovery support specialist and a drug court liaison in Oklahoma. She helps divert mothers and pregnant women facing charges away from prison and into alternative, supportive environments. “It’s not just about the women avoiding prison,” said Brown. “It’s about the children that have avoided losing their parents.” Brown knows firsthand the life-changing impact these alternatives to incarceration can have. In 2018, she was a pregnant mother experiencing addiction. The aftermath of a high school injury had left Brown with a spiraling substance use disorder that resulted in becoming unhoused and losing custody of her oldest child.   At a low moment, Brown was arrested and facing felony drug charges. But unlike so many others in this position, Brown was not sent to prison.   Instead, she received assistance. Brown enrolled in ReMerge Oklahoma, a nonprofit designed to help mothers stay with their families and communities rather than be separated from their children. The United States separates millions of children from their parents through incarceration—causing harms that last a lifetime.   Having a parent in prison increases children’s likelihood of being held back in school or dropping out entirely. It also increases their odds of experiencing homelessness or becoming involved with the criminal justice system themselves.   Community-based interventions like ReMerge Oklahoma are proving that we can keep families together and break the cycle of trauma, poverty, and incarceration.   As we celebrate this Mother’s Day, take a moment to read Jemi Brown’s story and learn how alternatives to incarceration are restoring families and building safer communities where everyone can thrive.   Thank you for reading, Vera Institute of Justice © 2026 Vera Institute of Justice. All Rights Reserved.   Vera Institute of Justice 34 35th Street | Suite 4-2A | Brooklyn, NY 11232 (212) 334-1300   Privacy Statement | unsubscribe