Kate visits women’s jail to meet pregnant inmates and babies born behind bars

THE Princess of Wales today visited a women’s jail to meet pregnant convicts and babies born behind bars.

Kate, 43, went to HMP Styal in Wilmslow, Cheshire, to visit a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU).

Reuters

Kate speaking to staff in the unit[/caption]

Reuters

Kate visiting the MBU[/caption]

Reuters

Kate speaking to staff in the unit[/caption]

The mother-of-three, who is Patron of Action for Children, ventured inside the jail to highlight the importance of strong, loving and consistent mother and baby relationships to a child’s development, even in the most challenging of environments.

The Princess was seen beaming as she was escorted into the prison in the rain under an umbrella.

She was also seen chatting with members of staff inside the unit, surrounded by children’s toys.

Action for Children runs three MBUs inside prisons in the north of England, all of which provide a dedicated place for new and expectant mothers serving a prison sentence or on remand.

Prisoners live in a separate area of the prison and are supported to care for their babies by trained prison staff and early years and family support practitioners.

The MBU seeks to establish and maintain a strong bond between mother and child while behind bars.

It also looks to help women break the cycle of reoffending, which for all female offenders across England and Wales sits at a rate of 20.9 per cent.

Kate met staff and former residents to hear about the support provided – including high quality nursery provision, targeted interventions and parenting support for the on-site mothers.

She also visited the on-site nursery to see where babies and children living on site can learn and play.

The Princess then met a group of current prisoners on the MBU to hear about how the charity is supporting them and their babies.

Kate established The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021.

Her visit is part of a “gradual” return to front-line duty after her cancer diagnosis.

In her last public appearance, Kate was joined by young children for an interactive day at the National Portrait Gallery in London last week.

The gallery had previously launched Kate’s Shaping Us Framework – a new project aiming to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of social and emotional skills across society.

The Princess was pictured playing teacher as she accompanied beaming pupils from All Souls CE Primary School on the school bus to the event – and helped them draw self-portraits.

Reuters

Kate waved as she entered the prison[/caption]

Reuters

Kate beaming at staff[/caption]

Reuters

Kate laughed at she negotiated the wet weather[/caption]

At the end of January, Kate also visited Tŷ Hafan’s children’s hospice in Wales, of which she is a patron.

Princess Diana previously held the position while the hospice was in its fundraising stage.

Kate played with eight kids during the visit and spoke to four parents who lost children, as well as painting a hand print on the wall.

The engagement marked her first public appearance in Wales since revealing her cancer diagnosis.

A few days before, Kate hugged Holocaust survivors at a reception for around 50 survivors of the Nazi campaign and survivors of subsequent genocides.

This included an emotional reunion with Yvonne Bernstein and Stephen Frank, two Holocaust survivors she photographed in 2020.

The event marked 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

BackGrid

Last week, the Princess of Wales joined a group of four and five-year-old school children from All Souls CE Primary School[/caption]

PA

In January, she visited kids at Tŷ Hafan’s children’s hospice in Wales[/caption]

Reuters

Kate at HMP Styal in Wilmslow[/caption]