Nursery World - Behind bars

Children can maintain their bonds with their jailed mothers thanks to a unique nursery 'inside'. Barbara Millar reports Little Cherubs may be a commonplace nursery name, but in one case the nursery itself is very different - it is located inside HMP Cornton Vale, Scotland's only all-female prison.

Little Cherubs may be a commonplace nursery name, but in one case the nursery itself is very different - it is located inside HMP Cornton Vale, Scotland's only all-female prison.

The nursery was set up to ease contact between prisoners and their children and grandchildren, the prison governor, Sue Brookes, explains. 'Little Cherubs offers games, soft toys, arts and crafts materials, books, a TV and a computer and, in the garden area, a swing, slide and play house. But only one family at a time uses these facilities, as part of regular visits to maintain and build on the parent-child bond.'

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