16 April 2007

Case highlights need for more humane system

"Cases like that of Cheyenne Tonihi - who had her four day old baby taken from her- highlight the barbarism of a justice system which separates babies from their mothers and prefers to see the mother receive grief counselling and antidepressants rather than being helped to keep her child with her," Green Party Social Justice Spokesperson Sue Bradford Bill says.

"Cases like this are the reason I put forward my private member's bill to extend the length of time prisoners are able to keep their babies and to change the approach the corrections system takes towards breastfeeding mothers.

The Green Party believes the default situation for mothers with babies in prison should be that they are able to keep their babies with them from the time of their birth until the end of their sentence, or two years at least - whichever comes first.

"Medical and psychological evidence from around the world, including World Health Organisation guidelines, indicates that babies should be breastfed if at all possible, and that establishing a close bond between mother and child is the best possible start a child can have in life," Ms Bradford says.

"This case also shows up two other key issues - firstly, that of security classifications being used as a way to separate mothers from babies, something that the Select Committee looking at the Bill will need to consider.

"Secondly, the lack of adequate drug and alcohol treatment services within prisons. Prisoners who need and want drug and alcohol treatment should be able to receive it as a matter of course - the fact that the lack of available treatment may have been a factor in this mother not being allowed to keep her baby only makes the situation more tragic," Ms Bradford says

Under the bill, babies would be kept in mother and baby units, and mothers would have to abide by strict rules, including a ban on drug use and other detrimental behaviour.

Mothers would also have to enter into a parenting agreement and undertake parenting education.

"It is a tremendous opportunity for the mother to develop and bring baby up with support and encouragement. It also improves the chances of rehabilitation. The reverse is the case now, where the mother has to go through the trauma of losing her baby -- it will often plunge that mother back into the cycle of addiction, drugs, violence and crime," Ms Bradford says.

The Law and Order Select Committee is currently hearing submissions on Sue Bradford's Corrections (Mothers with Babies) Amendment Bill, with the report due back in Parliament in July this year.

ENDS

© Scoop Media