I’m A Good Mom, IPB University Student Intelligence Program at East Jakarta IIA Women’s Prison
Behind the concrete walls surrounding the East Jakarta Women’s Correctional Institution (Lapas) IIA, there is a story that rarely comes to light. Inside, a group of inmate mothers have taken bold steps to change their view of themselves and their role as mothers.
‘I’m a Good Mom’, a Student Creativity Program for Community Service (PKM-PM) that IPB University students participate in, not only creates opportunities for personal growth but also has a profound positive impact on the inmate mothers’ quality of life and relationships with their children.
Muhammad Ramdhani Al Azraq Syah, one of the IPB University students who initiated this program, said that in the face of various challenges in the prison context, such as limited access and interaction with the outside world, mothers of prisoners in East Jakarta Women’s Correctional Institution IIA need special support to overcome stress related to the care of their children.
“Parenting stress is an additional burden that is often invisible but has a huge impact on the mental and emotional well-being of mothers of prisoners,” he said.
“This program is an important step in rebuilding the self-esteem and confidence of mothers of prisoners, as well as helping them become better mothers to their children, despite what may be a difficult situation,” he continued.
Azraq said I’m a Good Mom is carefully designed to overcome these challenges by focusing on three main components: Good Esteem, Good Efficacy, and Good Parenting. Each component is designed to give women a deep understanding of themselves as individuals, their role as mothers, and the skills needed to become better parents.
“Good Esteem aims to build the confidence and understanding of mothers of inmates. With effective learning methods, the program creates impressive outputs, including inmates who are more confident and have a better understanding of their potential,” he said.
The second component, Good Efficacy, aims to build an understanding of the importance of the role of mothers in the upbringing of their children. This includes screening inspirational movies, reflecting back on beautiful moments in their childhood, discussing expectations of being a good mother, and talking with fellow inmates.
“Through this activity, inmate mothers gain deeper insight into the importance of being a good mother and are inspired to achieve that goal,” said Azraq.
Meanwhile, Good Parenting focuses on developing effective parenting skills. Some of the programs include discussions on communication skills, reflections on the role of parents and children, role-playing to understand children’s temperaments, and reflections on the future after prison.
“One of the Good Parenting activities is to help plan their future after release. With a focus on developing parenting skills, this activity provides provisions for mothers of prisoners to become better parents when they return to society,” he said.
In addition, Azraq said, the I’m a Good Mom program is based on strong psychological theories, including self-esteem and self-efficacy. Parenting theories are also an important foundation in the program.
“We will continue to explore each component of the I’m a Good Mom program in more detail, including the learning methods used and the expected outcomes of each component,” he concluded. (IAAS/MZS)
