Is allowing my 15-year-old daughter to visit her mom in jail for 7 months a good idea?

[I1924]

Would allowing my 15-year-old daughter to visit her mom who will be in jail for 7 months for check fraud be a bad idea even if they have a good relationship since then she will see the inside of a jail and prisoners? Not to mention her mom in a jumpsuit. My daughter would like to go and seems enthusiastic and my wife says bring her if she wants but I’m not sure
Actually my daughter does not seem scared but instead seems excited and enthusiastic to visit. This is strange to me. Do you find this normal? My daughter seems to find the idea of her mom having to wearing a uniform, sharing a room funny. I wonder why she would think it is funny. My wife says bring her if she would like to and my daughter says she would like to but I don't know if it is a good idea. She hasn't gone yet so we can still discuss it together.

[Taylor-RO]

Hi @I1924, thanks for sharing. It sounds like you are in a really difficult spot. What are your concerns about letting your daughter see the inside of a jail and prisoners? It is a really individual situation and a decision should be based on how you believe your daughter will respond and whether there will be any impact. It might also depend on what type of prison it is - they could also have a telephone line that you could call and ask for advice. Have you had a chat about what seeing a prison might be like? There are many possibilities as to why she is feeling excited, I would not necessarily write it off as being strange without further exploration. For e.g. a prison is a new and unique experience and she may miss her Mum and be excited to visit her. It could be helpful to explore this further with your daughter, so that you can make an informed decision. I am sure you might already know this but at the end of the day, the decision is yours and you need to be able to be comfortable with what you have decided.