F.06.06 Management of Prisoner Mothers with resident Babies

Management of Prisoner Mothers with resident babies

1. General

• The prisoner mother will be allowed access, where practicable, to a range of social outlets, work and recreational activities, consistent with that available to other prisoners of the prison and according to her sentence plan.
• The Prison Manager / Unit Manager shall use his / her best endeavours to ensure that methods used by staff in managing prisoner mothers with babies is appropriate, and this may facilitate extra training where necessary.
• The movement of the baby outside of the prison for the purpose of contact with relatives or friends will be facilitated where possible and with the consent of the prisoner mother.

2. Daily Routine

• Prisoner mothers will follow normal prison routine as far as possible to do so.
• The prisoner mother may not leave the baby in the care of another prisoner whilst in the prison. If this occurs that baby’s placement within the unit will be reviewed.
• Prisoner mothers will be responsible for the routines to meet the individual demands of the baby. Prisoner mothers must however, be dressed and prepared for daily activity in accordance with their sentence plan.
• Prisoner mothers will be responsible for the tidiness and cleanliness of their accommodation or the feeding and bonding facility. In addition they will carry out such tasks as may be designated by the Unit Manager.

3. Meals

• In general, a prisoner mother is responsible for the preparation of meals for herself and her baby whist in a Self-care unit.
• Prisoner mothers using a feeding and bonding facility will be supplied meals from the prison kitchen if required.
• The prisoner mother is responsible for the provision of food items including formula at her cost when the baby is weaned or is being bottle-fed.

4. Family Assistance entitlement

• Prisoner mothers whom are the primary caregivers of their baby in a Self-care unit are eligible to apply for either child support or family assistance for the baby.
• In the case of child support (i.e. funds taken from the baby’s fathers earnings) the prisoner mother must:
  • Be separated from the father of the baby permanently – not just due to incarceration i.e. they do not plan to reunite once released
  • Have the baby’s birth certificate with the baby’s father on it
• In the case of family assistance (i.e. government funded) the prisoner mother must:
  • Be able to prove lack of income
  • Have the baby’s birth certificate
• Prisoner mothers will be responsible for the provision of the baby’s birth certificate. If they cannot supply the birth certificate they will be responsible for the replacement cost of the certificate.
• It is the prisoner’s responsibility to provide food, clothing and other necessities for her baby from the financial assistance received.

5. Sentence Plans – Work and Programmes

• All prisons must take reasonable steps to ensure that prisoner mothers with babies will have access to the full range of regime opportunities available. It is imperative in providing services for the prisoner mother, that the requirement for participation in programmes to address offending behaviour and personal development is encouraged and is reflected in their sentence plan.
• Prisoner mothers with babies in Self-care units or feeding – bonding units have reduced access to work opportunities because of their responsibilities to their baby and this must be taken into account when establishing the prisoners sentence plan.
• A prisoner mother with a baby may attend a workplace but must be able to maintain the supervision of her baby whilst at work. The work place must pose no health and safety risks to the baby.
• A prisoner mother’s primary responsibility is as a primary caregiver for her baby. This must be taken into account when establishing the prisoner’s sentence plan.
• A prisoner mother with a baby may attend a programme but must be able to maintain the supervision of her baby whilst at the programme.
• Approval to attend work or programmes with a baby will be declined if the work / programme environment poses and health and safety risks to the baby.

6. Health care of the baby

• The PS Health Services provide only primary health care to prisoners and not emergency and specialist treatment and care.
• The babies health needs will be attended to by a community Maternal and Child Health Practitioners and local General Practitioners.
• Prisoner mothers must nominate a community General Practitioner who will provide health care for the baby. The details of the General Practitioner must be available to the Prison Manager, Unit Manager, On-call Manager and Regional Health Services Manager.
• In the event that the baby requires health care after hours, the prisoner mother must notify the Officer in Charge of the Prison at the time so that a local doctor can be called in.
• In the event of a health emergency concerning the baby, the Officer in Charge of the Prison will call an ambulance to transport the baby to the nearest hospital for treatment.
• All costs associated with the health care of a baby, except any transport of a baby in a PS vehicle to hospital or to the babies GP, will be the responsibility of the prisoner mother. PS will cover the costs of the prisoner mother’s escort to accompany her baby in order to meet the babies health needs.
• Prisoner mothers in Self-care units who are the primary caregivers for the baby must accompany the baby to hospital or to the babies GP. This is to facilitate the consent for health authorities to carry out any medical procedure requirements upon the baby.

7. Drug Free conditions

• All prisoner mothers must agree to remain drug free whilst in the Self-care Unit or whilst using the Feeding and Bonding facility with their baby and sign the appropriate agreement to this effect.
• Procedures are in place for urine testing for drugs to take place. Tests may be administered:
  • To ratify eligibility for admission as a voluntary participant;
  • Under general random mandatory testing arrangements;
  • Where the Prison Manager or Staff member authorised for the purpose believes on reasonable grounds that the prisoner mother has used a drug or consumed alcohol.
• Prisoner mothers with babies resident in Self-care Units or participants in Feeding and Bonding facilities, who are found guilty at adjudication following a positive urine test result will normally have the baby removed from the Unit and her placement reassessed. This will be at the discretion of the Prison Manager and in this event; the baby will be placed in the care of an alternative caregiver identified by the prisoner mother on the original application.
• Prisoner mothers with babies resident in Self-care Units or participants in Feeding and Bonding facilities, who are found guilty at adjudication of illegal possession of a controlled drug, utensils associated with drug taking or proven to be supplying drugs will normally have the baby removed from the Unit and her placement reassessed. This will be at the discretion of the Prison Manager and in this event; the baby will be placed in the care of an alternative caregiver identified by the prisoner mother on the original application.
• If the prisoner mother becomes IDU status, the usual IDU status procedures will apply.

8. Transport of babies in PS vehicles

• When a baby is being transported in PS vehicles, the baby will remain in the company of the prisoner mother and be placed in an approved car seat fitted to the vehicle. All escort staff must take the necessary care and precaution during escorts of this nature.

9. Smoking

• Smoking is permitted by prisoner mothers according to the Departments policy and in the knowledge that to smoke around the baby may put the baby at risk.
• Smoking is prohibited inside Feeding and Bonding facilities, but not in the external areas.

10. Musters

• All prisoner mothers will be subject to the muster check requirements of the applicable prison and in accordance with PPM B.03 Prisoner and Building Checks.

11. Records

• An incident / accident report must be made to the Prison Manager of the prison of any injury to or any incident involving a baby resident in the prison.
• A register of all babies resident in a Self-care Unit or participating in the Feeding and Bonding facility must be maintained by the prison, showing:
  • Name of the baby and prisoner mother;
  • Location of the baby within the prison;
  • Date the baby was received into the prison; and whether an emergency reception;
  • Date and details of formal application;
  • Name of General Practitioner;
  • Name of alternative caregivers;
  • Date and reason baby leaves the prison.

12. Searching of babies and personal belongings

• Prisoner mothers with babies in Self-care Units or participants in Feeding and Bonding facilities may be required to provide a visual inspection to an officer for the purpose of ensuring there are no unauthorised items concealed on the baby’s person or in the baby’s clothing.
• For the purpose of providing a visual inspection to an officer, the prisoner mother may be required to do all or any of the following:
  • run or pat her hand over the clothed body of the baby;
  • turn any pocket or pouch on the baby’s clothing, inside out;
  • change baby’s clothing;
  • change baby’s diaper
• If the prisoner mother does not consent to providing a visual inspection to an officer, for the purpose of ensuring there are no unauthorised items concealed on the baby’s person or in the baby’s clothing, the baby may be removed from the Unit and the prisoner mother’s placement in the Self-care Unit or use of the Feeding and Bonding facility may be reassessed.
• Reassessment of the prisoner mother’s placement will be at the discretion of the Prison Manager and in this event; the baby will be placed in the care of an alternative caregiver identified by the prisoner mother on the original application.
• Personal belongings of the baby are the property of the prisoner mother and will be searched in accordance with PPM B.15 Prisoner Prison and Facility Searching.

13. Death of a baby whilst resident in a prison

• The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that any death of a prisoner’s baby, while the baby is living in prison, is lawfully confirmed, and that activities are carried out within the law and with respect for the spiritual, religious and cultural beliefs of the baby’s mother.
• The following guidelines must be followed in the event of the death of a baby who has been residing in a Self-care Unit:
  • Staff are to make every effort to maintain life prior to confirmation that the baby is dead by a certified medical practitioner, unless there are obvious signs that the baby has been dead for some time and that attempts to resuscitate would be futile.
  • At the time the incident comes to the attention of a prison staff member, the most senior officer on site and the prison doctor (or after hours the on-call nurse) must be notified. The Regional Health Services Manager should also be notified.
  • The most senior officer must immediately call emergency medical services, the baby’s general practitioner and Police to the scene.
  • The most senior officers must ensure that immediately following the death the incident area is secured to ensure the preservation of the scene and prevent interference with any material. The baby’s mother and one support person may remain with the deceased baby under custodial supervision.
  • The Prison Manager is responsible for ensuring adequate emotional, cultural and / or religious support is given to the mother. The mother should also be given access to a telephone to inform her family/whanau of the death. This includes the potential for the approved family/whanau members to visit the prison and spend time with the prisoner mother and baby.
  • The Prison Manager is responsible for offering the prisoner mother the opportunity for any cultural or religious support. If requested arrange for appropriate cultural and / or religious rites to be carried out in consultation with the baby’s mother and her family/whanau, prison chaplain and cultural adviser. This includes the potential for the family/whanau to participate in a blessing of the deceased’s unit with the other prisoners and staff.
  • If the prisoner mother does not request any religious or cultural support the Prison Manager is responsible for ensuring any necessary religious and / or cultural rites are carried out once the baby’s body has been removed from the Prison (for example karakia or blessing the facility). This may be at the request of staff or other prisoners.
  • The Prison Manager must ensure the baby’s death is recorded and reported with the requirements of the E.08 Incident Reporting in Prisons and PECCS. Staff must maintain a time log from when the incident is first reported. The log is to list pertinent times and occurrences from the time that staff first come upon the incident scene to when the baby’s body is removed from the incident scene.
  • The baby’s body can only be removed after a member of the Police or Coroner has authorised the removal of the baby’s body. This should be done with due consideration for the mother who may want to spend some further time with her baby before the body is taken away.
  • The Prison Manager must also ensure that all staff involved in the incident are offered support from PIRT team or another person with appropriate training.

14. Miscarriages

• Where relevant the requirements outlined in paragraph 13 shall also apply following a miscarriage within 20 weeks of gestation or an unscheduled birth. In this instance the following guidelines should also be met:
  • The Prison Manager must ensure that the prisoner is advised of the options appropriate to the prisoner’s cultural or religious beliefs for the management of the foetus or placenta.
  • Assistance should also be given to the prisoner to select the most appropriate option for the management of the foetus or placenta and every facility is made available to the prisoner to achieve the option chosen in a sensitive, culturally appropriate and hygienically safe manner.
  • Where after 20 weeks of gestation a prisoner delivers a deceased baby within the prison every opportunity should be made for the prisoner to obtain appropriate funeral services and the support and advice of her family/whanau.

Custodial Management

15. Pre-entry to the Facility

• Prisoner comply with all identified eligibility and entry criteria.
• Where there are daily visits from baby "Parenting Agreement", includes the following:
  • The agreed frequency of visit and time that the baby will be in the feeding and bonding facility.
  • Notice that there will be a transition back to normal visiting arrangement once the baby has reached the age limit.
  • Notice that the mother will be subject to regular search provisions at the termination of each visit with her baby.
  • Notice that the mother is responsible for the care of the baby while she is in the facility.
  • An understanding that feeding and bonding arrangements depend on the co-operation of the caregiver in the community who is responsible for bringing the baby into the prison.
  • Expectations around addressing other identified targets in the prisoner's sentence plan as appropriate.
  • Agreement to the commitment involved.
  • The contact details for the caregiver(s) in the community who can be contacted to collect the baby in case of emergency.

16. Facility Management

• The custodial provider has met all custodial, sentence planning and management requirements.
• Prisoners are supervised according to their security classification, Parenting Agreement and Sentence Plan.
• Each facility has access to external health providers with skills and experience in early childhood care.
• Arrangements are in place for prisoners to have access to health services for emergency and specialist treatment and care(The PS Health Services provide only primary health care to prisoners and not emergency and specialist treatment and care).
• A comprehensive mother-baby feeding/bonding unit includes the following:
  • Separate room in the visits area of the prison.
  • Access to a baby changing area.
  • Access to a fridge, as well as running water for the purposes of hand-washing and the making of hot drinks.
  • Access to toilet facilities.
  • Access to an outside area.
  • Comfortable seating for the prisoner and the caregiver.
  • Suitable space for the baby to sleep, plus a cot.

17. Active Management

• All staff clearly demonstrate required Active Management Skill Sets, as outlines in the Active Management Service Descriptions.