Mums and bubs in prison

If you have arrived in prison and are wondering what you need to know as a mum, here is some helpful information.

Lino cut by S.H

All three women's prisons have social workers who are available to support you as a mum – you can ask your unit staff, health or case manager to refer you to meet with a social worker.

If you arrive at prison and are hapū or find out you are hapū, the health team, social worker and unit staff will work closely with you. They will support you to see a midwife and have regular check-ups, they will develop a birth plan with you and will ensure that you get your pregnancy entitlements. As a pregnant woman, you will be entitled to a few things like an additional mattress, pillow and food.

If you are hapū or have tamariki in the community under 24 months old, you have the right to apply to live in a Mothers with Babies Unit (MBU) with your pēpi until they are 24 months old. There is an application process you need to work through with your social worker, which will include Corrections talking to your support people and Oranga Tamariki. A panel will then make a recommendation to the Prison Director to approve or decline your application. Talk to the social worker for more information about this process to decide if it is something you would like to do.

If you have pēpi under 24 months old and do not want to apply for the MBU, you might want to consider applying to use the feeding and bonding facilities. This is when your baby can visit you in prison in a dedicated comfy space. This is separate to normal visits, and feeding and bonding can happen on any day and for longer periods of time. Like with the Mothers with Babies Unit, there is an application process you need to complete with your social worker, and a panel then makes a recommendation to the Prison Director to approve or decline your application.

For more information, here is a link to the Mums and Bubs review by the Office of the Inspectorate: Mothers and Babies: Prison management of pregnant women and mothers of infants - OFFICE OF THE INSPECTORATE

Also attached is a Corrections pamphlet that women should be receiving regarding Mothers and babies and a link to the section of the Corrections Act that has provisions for pēpi to be with mum under certain circumstances:Corrections Act 2004 No 50 (as at 26 January 2025), Public Act 81A Request and approval for placement of child with mother – New Zealand Legislation

Read this pamphlet to find out more about the Mothers with Babies Units:

Mothers with Babies Units (MBUs): Information for Women (PDF 463KB)

Mothers_Babies_Booklet_FINAL (1).pdf

Download PDF • 475KB

We can’t begin to truly understand what it’s like to be hapū or caring for tamariki while serving a sentence. But our hearts are with you. We hope this resource helps you better understand your rights and feel supported on this journey.