A FULL review has been launched into the future of the mother and baby unit at Askham Grange prison near York.

The Prison Service study will also examine the three other jails with such facilities in England.

But its director general Richard Tilt stressed the review should not be seen as reflecting badly on the centres.

"Those involved in the assessment procedures should not see this review as criticism of their work," he said.

Askham Grange, at Askham Richard, is an open prison for women which holds up to 130 inmates and can take as many as 20 children aged up to 18 months at its mother and baby unit.

The study will investigate the rights of imprisoned mothers and their babies, whether current facilities are adequate and policy on allocating beds.

A strategy will be drawn up for the centres including the type of unit, location, number of places, age range and length of stay.

It will also advise when and how to remove a mother and child from such a centre.

The review was launched after a High Court challenge last month by a mother refused a place at the unit in Holloway jail, London.

Mr Tilt said: "For a mother and child to be together in prison during the crucial early months is generally recognised as being in the interests of both mother and child.

"In considering applications for places on the units the Prison Service has always had this at the forefront of its thinking.

"The welfare of all babies on the units is of the utmost importance to us and this had been and will remain the guiding principle in allocating places."

Mothers have been able to have their babies in prison since 1947. The first mother and baby unit opened in 1966 at Holloway.

The report is expected to be completed by the end of March.

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