CHILDREN are going for sleepovers at a jail near York - so they can spend the night with their imprisoned mothers.

The youngsters are staying overnight in a flat which is being created at the edge of Askham Grange Open Prison, at Askham Richard, a report has revealed.

"Mothers are able to have an overnight stay with their children in an atmosphere conducive to allowing them to build the contacts for when they are released," said the Independent Monitoring Board in its annual report.

"These visits, together with releases on licence, form a valuable part of the whole resettlement programme."

The board says that the scheme has been introduced with great care and has had very positive benefits.

It said the overnight family visit facility has been used to date on two occasions with great success.

Meanwhile, the report reveals that the prison's mother and baby unit, which has long been in existence to ensure that pregnant prisoners can keep their babies with them for some months after giving birth, is not being used to its full potential.

The report says that numbers have remained low throughout the year, with only three mothers and babies on the unit at the time the report was written earlier this year. The unit has the capacity to accommodate ten mothers and 11 babies.

The report said that while it applauded the fact that fewer mothers with babies were receiving custodial sentences, it was believed the resources at Askham were not being used to the maximum advantage.

The report also reveals that Askham Grange has stepped up its efforts to tackle the problems of alcohol abuse among inmates.

A breathalyser has been introduced and it is expected that support programmes for prisoners with alcohol abuse problems will be introduced soon.

The report says the board has been heartened by the work done by staff throughout the prison over the past year. "Askham Grange is a women's open prison which has always focused on the need to reduce reoffending, being both humanitarian and economically sound.

"This year, more emphasis and effort has gone into this area to build on the work already done. Each resident receives and agrees a plan for her time as Askham in order to prepare her for her time after discharge."