Masekoameng, Sheron MathlatseParry, Bianca RochelleFourie, Mattheus Eduard2024-04-222024-04-222025-05Masekoameng, S. M., Parry, B. R., & Fourie, M. E. (2024). The Motherhood Experiences of Women Incarcerated at the Johannesburg Maximum Correctional Facility, in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 69(6-7), 853-868. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X231219197.0306-624X (print)1552-6933 (online)10.1177/0306624X231219197http://hdl.handle.net/2263/95702The percentage of female offenders who are single mothers of minor children is a growing concern among the total incarcerated population in South Africa and globally. This study aimed to explore how expectations about mothering manifest for incarcerated mothers who are physically separated from their children. The experience of motherhood was captured using face-to-face interviews with a guide of semi-structured questions with eight (8) incarcerated mothers at Johannesburg correctional facility, Gauteng province, South Africa. The data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) couched with Social Identity Theory (SIT) and revealed that circumstances that led to maternal pathways differed from the literature. The findings of this study provided a foundation of how the social context, together with maternal obligation, influences behaviors that women internalize, and which lead to offending behaviors. This warrants further research in an effort to curb and prevent maternal incarceration.en© The Author(s) 2023. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License.Single motherSeparationMotherhoodMaternal obligationMinor childrenIncarcerationSocial identity theorySouth Africa (SA)SDG-05: Gender equalityGauteng Province, South AfricaArticle