As part of our continuing focus this month on mothers in prison, here are links to some of our most popular guides and studies on issues around maternal imprisonment.

Mum's the word:  This new informed and practical guide, written in collaboration with Mums at the end of long sentences at HMP's Eastwood Park and Bronzefield is for new Mum's to use when they first enter prison and throughout their sentence.

Women offenders after the Corston Report:  This report looks at the development of policy and practice with regards to women offenders, six years after the Corston Report was first published.

Mothers in prison: The sentencing of mothers and the rights of the child:  This research questions whether the courts always obtain information about children or whether they consider children's rights when sentencing mothers.

The Importance of Maintaining Family Ties During Imprisonment:  This article presents an evaluation of a Family Support Project delivered at HMP New Hall, and includes a literature review of research regarding women offenders and children affected by parental imprisonment.

Mitigating Motherhood: A study of the impact of motherhood on sentencing decisions in England and Wales: This study investigates whether the caring responsibilities of a defendant mother are treated as personal mitigation to reduce sentence length in England and Wales.

Imprisoned mothers: 'out of sight, out of mind'. A missed opportunity for rebuilding mother-child relationships:  This unpublished paper is based on qualitative research conducted as part of an evaluation of HMP Styal's Positive Parenting Programmes