Report Jul. 26 2022
Inquiry: Women in PrisonFound: ˇˇ Mother and Baby Units 155.
Oct. 03 2022
Source Page: IICSA: investigation reports (volume 1 to 5)Found: foster mother and was forced to masturbate him and perform oral sex.
Mentions:
1: Priti Patel (CON - Witham) The most serious sexual and violent offenders will spend longer in prison. - Speech Link
2: Conor McGinn (LAB - St Helens North) the worst sort of criminals and offenders and made sure that they were put in prison, are any sort of - Speech Link
3: Sammy Wilson (DUP - East Antrim) The protocol is the baby of threats of crime and threats to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. - Speech Link
4: Lee Anderson (CON - Ashfield) It makes people in Ashfield and Eastwood feel safer, it makes me feel safer and it makes my family feel - Speech Link
5: Anna McMorrin (LAB - Cardiff North) Another of my constituents, Maria, who sponsored a mother and baby, was in utter distress as a Home Office - Speech Link
Written Evidence Feb. 03 2022
Inquiry: Improving outcomes for women in the criminal justice systemFound: of prisoners, reporting what they find to those running the prison, and dealing with queries and concerns
Oct. 05 2021
Source Page: Pregnancy, MBUs and maternal separation in women’s prisons Policy FrameworkFound: Policy name: Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) , and M aternal Separation from Children
Oct. 05 2021
Source Page: Pregnancy, MBUs and maternal separation in women’s prisons Policy FrameworkFound: Policy name: Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) , and M aternal Separation from Children
Written Evidence Jul. 12 2021
Inquiry: Women in PrisonFound: We also have staff based at the local women™s prison (HMP Eastwood Park) where we are able to support
Written Evidence Jul. 13 2021
Inquiry: Women in PrisonFound: of prisoners, reporting what they find to those running the prison, and dealing with queries and concerns
Jul. 29 2021
Source Page: HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2020 to March 2021Found: and Baby Units 18 Electronic Monitoring 19 Bail Accommodation and Support Services (BASS)
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and East Dulwich)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) women and (b) children can access overnight accommodation in HMP (i) Drake Hall, (ii) Styal and (iii) Askham Grange.
Answered by Alex Chalk
There are six Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) across the women’s prison estate located at HMP Askham Grange, HMP Bronzefield, HMP Eastwood Park, HMP New Hall, HMP Peterborough and HMP Styal. MBUs are a national resource and enable mothers to maintain a bond with their children during an important period in their development and aim to reduce the negative impact imprisonment can have on young children, if evidence suggests it is in their best interests to remain with their mother.
The MBU also allows for children from the community to come and join their mothers in an MBU up to the age of 18 months. The environment is safe and nurturing for children, with development opportunities you would see in other nurseries, including toys and trips into the community. There is a national capacity of 64 mothers and 70 babies (to allow for multiple births). The national capacity has not been exceeded.
In addition to the existing MBUs, HMP Drake Hall and HMP Askham Grange offer overnight facilities that enable mothers and their children to spend time together. These facilities are available to all children up to the age of 18 years old. There is no additional overnight accommodation available at HMP Styal however, HMP Eastwood Park have enhanced the use of their MBU to provide an opportunity for risk assessed women to spend an overnight stay with one child, up to 12 years of age in the specifically arranged family room.
In regard to capacity, the HMP Askham Grange unit has five double bedrooms to accommodate large families, however only one mother can use the facility at one time. Although information is not held in the time periods requested, the facility was used 144 times in 2018-19 and 98 times in 2019-20.
HMP Drake Hall has two separate units that can accommodate one mother, up to three children aged toddler to 18 years of age, and one baby in a travel cot. For larger families, the two suites can be combined to provide facilities for up to 6 children, which is assessed on a case by case basis. Full information relating to the number of occasions this facility was used is not held however, the suite has not been used during 2020 due to COVID restrictions.