Mothers and Babies

Purpose

• To ensure the baby has an opportunity to bond with its primary caregiver in a safe and supportive environment and that a functional relationship can be established pending the mother’s release.
• To reduce the likelihood of the mother re-offending
• To lower the risk of "intergenerational transmission of criminality".

Eligibility

Self Care Unit option is only available to sentenced women who meet security requirements. It must be in the best interests of the child for a woman to be placed in the unit under the mother and baby placement option.

Feeding and Bonding Facilities are available to remand and high security women. It must be in the best interests of the child for a woman to use the Feeding and Bonding Facilities.

Prisoner obligations

Prisoners required to address their offending issues by attending groups and programmes identified in their sentence plan.

Other features

A small number of women give birth while serving a sentence of imprisonment. Others have young children at the time of sentencing.

Some prisoners with babies (up to nine months) may be eligible to live in Self Care Units (see Self Care Unit fact sheet) where they have greater ability to manage their own living arrangements.

Self Care Units and Feeding and Bonding Facilities are available at Arohata Prison, Christchurch Women’s Prison and the Auckland Regional Women’s Corrections Facility (see fact sheets) under the mother-child placement option.

The Parole Act 2002 allows the New Zealand Parole Board to grant early release on compassionate grounds to a prisoner who has given birth during her sentence. Prison management first assesses the offender’s suitability taking account of security classification, the welfare of the offender and child and the views of Child, Youth and Family. A report will then be submitted to the Parole Board.

Mothers with babies cared for in the community less than nine months are permitted daily visits in secure, purpose-built facilities where they can feed and bond with their child. These facilities replicate a domestic lounge setting with a bathroom, kitchenette and sleeping room for the baby. There is also an external courtyard. Feeding and bonding facilities allow a mother to spend her up to 12 hours a day with her baby. This arrangement also allows the baby to bond with the caregiver raising the child while the mother serves her sentence.

Women with young babies may also be eligible to apply for home detention, either at the time of sentencing or if serving sentences longer than two years three months before their parole eligibility date.