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Prisoners: Mothers

Volume 506: debated on Tuesday 23 February 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of women in prison who (a) have children, (b) have children and no husband or long-term partner and (c) have no registered address. (318058)

The information requested is not routinely collected. However, a recent Ministry of Justice study suggested that 55 per cent. of women in prison are mothers. Work has begun with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to implement the recently published Framework for Supporting Offenders’ Families. Within four days of entering custody, prisoners should have an assessment of their accommodation needs and if necessary, prison staff will provide advice and guidance to help them find settled accommodation prior to release.