Adelaide Women's Prison

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women about Adelaide Women's Prison.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: It was reported in The Advertiser on 12 May that a mother has avoided an immediate gaol sentence over a raft of driving offences because her six-month-old baby will only breastfeed not bottle feed. The woman's lawyer, Heather Stokes, said that the incident highlighted yet another problem with the state's prison system. She also said, 'South Australia is the only state that does not allow women to keep babies with them in custody, and we are once again behind the eight-ball compared with other states.' Ms Stokes said the prison system's refusal to allow women to care for their babies created heartache, turmoil and stress.

The mothers and babies program was a promise made by the Labor government in 2012. In South Australia, female prisoners are not permitted to have children with them in custody. My questions to the minister are:

1. Has the Minister for the Status of Women advocated for women facing this issue and discussed the problem with the Minister for Correctional Services?

2. When will the mothers and babies program, promised in 2012, become operational in the women's prison?

3. Can the minister provide assurance that she will look at a range of options to improve and support mother-child contact for female prisoners?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:24): I thank the honourable member for her most important questions. I am not able answer her questions; I do not have that information. They are mainly matters for the minister for corrections. I am, obviously, keenly interested in this area and am happy to work with the minister and bring back a response to the member.