A $2.6 million project to keep inmate mums with their bubs opened on Sunday

A NEW minimum security and mother-baby unit — with modern facilities to house up to 25 inmates — has been opened at the Mary Hutchinson’s Women’s Prison at Risdon Vale.

A new women's facility at Rison Prison, Hobart was opened today and is named after the late Attorney General, Dr Vanessa Goodwin. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

A NEW minimum security and mother-baby unit — with modern facilities to house up to 25 inmates — has been opened at the Mary Hutchinson’s Women’s Prison at Risdon Vale.

The unit has five specially designed rooms, which can cater for mothers and their newborn babies up to two years of age.

The $2.6 million project has been named in honour of former Attorney-General and Minister for Corrections Vanessa Goodwin, who died this year at age 48 after a battle with brain cancer.

The kitchen of one of the five units at a new women's facility at Rison Prison, Hobart. The mother-baby units at the Mary Hutchinson’s Women’s Prison were opened today and are named after the late Attorney General, Dr Vanessa Goodwin. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

“Vanessa was passionate and deeply committed to prisoner rehabilitation, and helping to get prisoners lives back on track so they could become productive members of society following their release from prison,” Premier Will Hodgman said at the opening of the Dr Vanessa Goodwin cottages on Sunday.

“These new facilities will honour her significant legacy, by helping to strengthen the bond between mother and baby in the critical early stages of life.”

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Attorney-General and Minister for Corrections Elise Archer said the unit would enable the Tasmanian Prison Service to accommodate the increasing number of female prisoners.

“The two 10-bed minimum security units and five-bed mother and baby units also include a day care facility, and can cater for mothers with a disability,” she said.

Prison director Ian Thomas said there were currently 42 fem­ale prisoners housed at the Mary Hutchinson’s facility.

He said the prison’s capacity would increase to 71 beds with the new facility.

“Our intent is to create an environment that is as least like a prison as possible,” Mr Thomas said.

“One of the most stressful things for anybody, but particularly women with young children, is coming to prison.

“It’s vital we enable them to maintain that physical bond with their child, for both the mother and the child — we shouldn’t forget the child is not in prison.”

Family, friends and colleagues of Dr Goodwin attended the unveiling.