EXCLUSIVE: ‘I had a baby in jail – here’s the truth about Lauren’s Coronation Street storyline’

A woman who gave birth in prison has described being locked up with her baby as “the most traumatic experience of my life”.

Lucy, 37, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, said it has been “emotional” seeing Coronation Street tell the storyline of character Lauren having a baby in prison. She is working with campaign group Level Up, which is calling for an end to prison for pregnant women, mothers and babies.

Speaking to the Mirror, Lucy said she was “terrified” of having her son taken off her if she didn’t get a place in one of six prisons that have a mother and baby unit. “Being in prison with my baby was the most traumatic experience of my life and it will never leave me,” she said.

“It is so painful when the fate of you and your child is in a few strangers’ hands, and all you want to do is hold your child but you are unsure if you will ever be able to see them again.” Lucy, who lives in the south of England, praised Coronation Street for covering the issue which she said she hopes leads to more public support for an end to prison for pregnant women and mothers.

But she said: “It was inappropriate that they claimed units to be a ‘lovely place’. They are not, I was anxious for the whole of my time on the unit with the fear that prison officers would take my child away from me at any minute.”

In Coronation Street Lauren, who faces a life sentence for murdering her abuser, has been battling to stay with her baby in a mother and baby unit. Lucy, who was jailed for a short sentence, said: “The fact they used a woman on a murder charge is also a massive negative as this does not accurately represent that most women are in prison for low-level crimes related to poverty.”

Lucy said the show’s story was similar to her own experience, though she said the character had a solicitor whereas she was not informed that was an option. “Most women don’t know they can have legal representation or a friend or family member with them. It’s a very daunting process,” she added.

There are increased risks and negative outcomes associated with mums and babies in jail. Pregnant women in prison are seven times more likely to suffer a stillbirth than women in the community, for example.

The Labour government has vowed to address the plight of women in jail. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said at the party’s September conference: “Some women enter prison pregnant, with around 50 children a year starting their lives in prison.

“Tragically, that has seen cases of women losing their babies in childbirth. Nobody wants to live in a world in which children are born in prison. But that is the world we live in.”

Ms Mahmood pointed to evidence showing around two-thirds of women are imprisoned for non-violent offences, that 55% are victims of domestic abuse and that self-harm in women’s prisons is eight-times higher than in the male estate. She announced plans for a new “Women’s Justice Board”, tasked with “reducing the number of women going to prison, with the ultimate ambition of having fewer women’s prisons”. Details of the board are expected to be published after the Christmas period.

Janey Starling, co-Director of Level Up, said: “Prison will never be a safe place to be pregnant. Prison has a devastating life-long impact on mums and on their babies’ development. The government must end the imprisonment of pregnant women and mothers and redirect funding away from prisons into community-based alternatives like women’s centres.”

Read Lucy’s story in her own words

As someone who was pregnant in prison and had my baby with me in a prison Mother and Baby Unit, it’s emotional seeing Lauren’s story on Coronation Street about having a baby in prison.

My own experience of the process of getting a place on a Mother and Baby Unit started with me being six months pregnant and remanded to prison before my sentencing. The prison didn’t give me any information about getting a place on the unit, and it was only after I was told by other women inside the prison that I had the possibility of keeping my son with me when he was born.

I wasn’t aware that I was able to have anyone support me through this or able to have legal representation or advice so I applied alone. It was a long process, and I didn’t know whereabouts in the country I could be sent as there are only six prisons that have a mother and baby unit.

After two and half months of waiting for my application to be heard, I finally ‘sat a board’ like Lauren did, where they asked numerous questions and looked at how I had behaved in prison. I was terrified that I would have to give my son up if I wasn’t approved for a place, and I was so anxious this would mean my son would have no idea who I was. Thankfully I was given a place on the unit.

Coronation Street have portrayed the process quite well, along with the emotional distress it can cause a mother being separated from her child. It is so painful when the fate of you and your child is in a few strangers hands’, and all you want to do is hold your child but you are unsure if you will ever be able to see them again.

It wasn’t totally accurate as they had three staff members on the board, when I had six on mine, including a social worker I had never met. Also, Lauren had a solicitor there. I didn’t realise that was an option, and most women don’t know they can have legal representation or a friend or family member with them. It’s a very daunting process.

It was inappropriate that they claimed units to be a ‘lovely place’. They are not, I was anxious for the whole of my time on the unit with the fear that prison officers would take my child away from me at any minute. No mother should be pregnant or in a prison with their child as their needs cannot safely be met and community alternatives should always be looked at first. Also, the fact they used a woman on a murder charge is also a massive negative as this does not accurately represent that most women are in prison for low-level crimes related to poverty.

Being in prison with my baby was the most traumatic experience of my life and it will never leave me. Overall however, I think it’s really positive that Coronation Street are covering this issue, and I hope it leads to more public support for an end to prison for pregnant women and mothers.