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The Princess of Wales met with female prisoners who had given birth behind bars and was told of the lack of child support offered in the outside world.
Kate, on a visit to mothers locked up in HMP Styal, a women’s prison in Cheshire, endured shouts of “we need more funding” and “tell them the truth” as well as loud wolf-whistles and cat-calls from inmates leaning out of their cell windows.
Undettered the Princess of Wales gracefully smiled, waved and said hello back to the inmates straining to get a glimpse of their royal guest.
She then met with ex-offenders and those still serving who received help from the charity Action for Children, which the princess represents as royal patron.
She told staff from the unit: “It is great that you are looking at the mother’s wellbeing as well. The best thing for baby is to have a mother whose emotional needs and wellbeing is met as well.”
She sat down with two former inmates only identified by their first names – Sam, who left the prison six weeks ago with her toddler son after serving a 14-month sentence for an undisclosed offence and Donna, who was 30 weeks pregnant when she began an 11-month sentence and gave birth to a daughter in prison.
Sam told Kate how it was only by being sent to prison that she received “so much” help, something that was unlikely to have been available in her local community.
The future queen replied: “It shouldn’t have to take something like this to get access to something like this…”
Sam said: “I only left six weeks ago and I am just getting rolling with everything again. Thinking about work, nurseries. I have said so many times that I just wish I could take this (prison) nursery and put it in my home town.”
She added: “It’s hands down the best nursery. My son just ran up to the nursery worker straight away and recognised her just now.”
When Kate chatted with staff from the mother and baby unit, she asked about its effects on reoffending, suggesting it was “massive”, and was told normal reoffending rates for women were around 70 per cent but this reduced to just 12 per cent with those receiving parental support.
During Kate’s meeting with the former inmates, Sam said: “We are both first-time mums and put it this way, we didn’t start the best way, but where we are now is incredible.
“We got the most out of it we possibly could. We made silly decisions and ended up in this position, but you can’t turn back the clock. So we just stuck with it in here and got as much out of it as we could.
“There is so much we have done that I wouldn’t necessarily get access to if this hadn’t have happened.”
The event was Kate’s fifth public engagement in just over two weeks as she continues with her gradual return to official duties since completing her cancer treatment.
Amanda Taylor, operational director of children’s services at Action for Children, said: “Given the challenges the mums are going through, it is really important to give the babies the very best start in life.
“The princess’ passion is early years and she understands the impact on the outcome of adulthood happens during these critical early years.
“The babies aren’t prisoners, the babies happen to be living in this environment. So it’s really important for us to give them the best start in life. It’s why the environment for them and their mothers is so important.”
