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Prisoners: Children

Volume 463: debated on Thursday 19 July 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners with dependent children are held outside their home region. (150132)

The Prison Service does not keep information on the number of prisoners that have dependent children. To identify such women, prison staff would need to look at each individual’s record, which would in any case not be reliable given that its content depends on (sometimes partial) information provided by the prisoners themselves. However, the 2003-04 resettlement survey commissioned by the Prison Service Custody to Work Unit showed that half of all female prisoners had dependent children (including stepchildren), and that 46 per cent. of those women had lived with at least one dependent child before custody.

Research carried out in January 2007, calculated that the average distance from home for male prisoners is 50 miles and for women prisoners 55 miles (the women’s estate is much smaller and more widespread). Considerable emphasis is placed on encouraging prisoners to maintain family ties. Governors are required to consider family contact issues, educational courses and treatment programmes before moving prisoners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) female and (b) male prisoners have dependent children. (150146)

The Prison Service does not keep information on the number of prisoners that have dependent children.

To identify such women, prison staff would need to look at each individual’s record, which would in any case not be reliable given that its content depends on (sometimes partial) information provided by the prisoners themselves. However, the 2003-04 resettlement survey commissioned by the Prison Service Custody to Work Unit showed that half of all female prisoners had dependent children (including stepchildren), and that 46 per cent. of those women had lived with at least one dependent child before custody.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children are resident in Prison Service mother and baby accommodation, broken down by age. (150147)

There are currently 39 children on the mother and baby units (MBUs). A breakdown in age is contained in the following table:

Age in months

Number of children in MBUs

0-9

32

10-18

5

18+

2

The maximum age for a child to remain with their mother in a MBU is 18 months. However, in exceptional circumstances, such as an imminent release, a mother can be granted permission to keep the child with her, if it is in the child’s best interests, after he/she reaches 18 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children were born to women in prison in each of the last 10 years. (150148)

The Prison Service has only routinely kept information centrally on births in custody since April 2005. Figures prior to this date are not available.

The number of prisoners giving birth since April 2005 are as follows:

Number

April 2007-6 July 2007

26

April 2006-March 2007

99

April 2005-March 2006

106