Safeguarding children when sentencing mothers

Oxford University have collaborated with the Prison Reform Trust to create new resources, including films and briefings, to help criminal justice professionals improve their understanding of the impacts of maternal imprisonment. Image credit: Shutterstock Oxford University has collaborated with the Prison Reform Trust to create new resources, including films and briefings, to help criminal justice professionals improve their understanding of the impacts of maternal imprisonment. It is estimated that 17,000 children every year are affected by maternal imprisonment in England and Wales. 95 per cent (16,000) of these children are forced to leave their homes as their mother's imprisonment leaves them without an adult to take care of them. Despite this, no government agency has responsibility for ensuring the welfare of these children is safeguarded and their rights are protected. Dr Shona Minson, a research associate at Oxford's Centre for Criminology, has conducted research on the implications of maternal imprisonment for children. The study explored the lived experience of children whose mothers were in prison at the time of interview.