LMN to Premiere Provoctive New Original Docu-Series BABIES BEHIND BARS, Today
LMN's groundbreaking new series BABIES BEHIND BARS sheds light on a radical program that allows pregnant inmates to give birth and raise their babies inside of a maximum security prison. Nearly 75,000 women are entering prison in the US each year, and as many as 7,500 are pregnant when they enter. In most cases, the babies are separated from their mothers immediately after birth. However, studies have shown that babies who are raised by their mothers in the first years of life have a much better chance of living healthy, drug-free and crime-free lives. Currently, there are only eight such programs in the US and LMN has been given exclusive access to the Wee Ones Program inside the Indiana Women's Prison, a maximum security facility. The 10-episode series follows several inmate mothers at various stages of their time in the program including newbies and veterans, as well as those at critical turning points as they struggle to live by the strict rules while navigating the trials and temptations of the volatile prison environment. The series also features the staff who run the program, including tough-love prison guards and inmate nannies entrusted to help care for the babies.
Babies Behind Bars features: BRANDI - She's the "Mama Bear" of the unit, and calls it like she sees it.Stakes are high for her despite her seniority; she's up for parole soon and hoping to walk out of prison for good with her baby Addison, but only if her FORBIDDEN relationship with LaRitha isn't discovered. STEPHANIE - The unit troublemaker, Stephanie's well-intentioned meddling always seems to place her in the middle of Wee Ones drama. Mother to baby Abigail and a mama's girl herself, Stephanie just wants to go home. KARA - Kara is already on thin ice with four violations on the unit. This troubled mom fights to escape a destructive family history in order to raise her baby Charlie free from the abuse that she suffered. Like most mothers, Kara is always tired and often thin on patience - conditions that cause her to run afoul of the strict Wee Ones code of conduct.