The Voice

Huhne reveals: 50 babies being raised by their convict mothers in prison

By | Tue 30th December 2008 - 1:54 pm

The Daily Telegraph has the story:

Around 50 babies spent Christmas behind bars in prisons across England and Wales, according to figures. The disclosure comes 18 months after the Government-commissioned Corston Report recommended that custody should be a last resort for women, particularly those who were caring for children. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne, who obtained the figures, has accused the Government’s efforts to “look tough” on crime for a doubling in the number of women in jail over the past decade.

Information provided by justice minister Maria Eagle in response to a parliamentary question from Mr Huhne earlier this month showed that there were 50 children aged under two in mother and baby units on November 30 – the last date for which figures were available. The prison system in England and Wales has places for 75 mothers with babies and several institutions can hold children for up to two years when it is deemed to be in their best interests. …

Mr Huhne said: “It is deeply saddening to imagine 50 babies and their mothers behind bars on Christmas Day. It’s hard to imagine a worse start in life than being born to a mother in prison. Labour’s obsession with looking tough has led to a near doubling of the number of women in prison in the last decade. The Corston Review happened 18 months ago but ministers have been unable or unwilling to introduce its sweeping recommendations.”

The story was also covered by the Daily Mail here.

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