Hundreds of pregnant women and new mothers convicted of crimes fight for places to bring up their children in jail every year

Up to 260 convict mothers every year apply to bring up their babies behind bars, MailOnline can reveal today.
Around 75 children are currently spending the first 18 months of life in jail to prevent them being separated from their mother.
The female prison population has more than doubled to more than 4,000 since 1997 and currently around two a week will become a parent while in jail in a 'worrying' trend.

Start to life: This prison mother holds her child while watched by a prison warden at the baby unit at HMP Eastwood Park in Gloucestershire

New figures from The Ministry of Justice reveal that 711 new mothers have applied for one of these spaces, but they are so oversubscribed only 220 have been successful since 2010.
It means that many will be taken into care or looked after by family outside the prison walls.
In most cases, the mother were sent to prison for crimes committed while pregnant.

David Green, criminologist and director of the think tank Civitas, said: 'This is a worrying trend and deeply regrettable for the children who are spending their infancy in jails. But culpability lies with their mothers.
'Nobody should be spared a custodial sentence on the ground that they have children. Prison acts as a deterrent – we cannot send a message that people with children will get away with crime'.

There are seven prison baby units around the UK, including Holloway in London.
In order to qualify, the majority of the mothers will have committed serious crimes while pregnant, including violence and drugs offences.

'HAVING A BABY WON'T STOP ME JAILING YOU': WOMAN, 22, 'GOT PREGNANT TO AVOID PRISON'

A woman was jailed for two years last month despite getting pregnant to avoid it, a court heard.
Natalie Williams, of Darlington, took a 14-year-old boy to a hotel for sex and got him high on cannabis.
Teesside Crown Court heard that after she was arrested, she deliberately got pregnant with a new boyfriend - thought to be an attempt to stay out of prison.
But Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, told her that would not dissuade him from locking her up - because a man who preyed on a young girl would face jail.
He said: 'The law sets out to protect those that are under the age of consent, whether they are boys or girls, from those who would take advantage of their youth.
'They are not to be preyed upon by those who are older than them, and certainly over the age of consent, and that is why these are very serious offences.'

In the first 18 months women will be able to feed and play with their child, and are given childcare so they can take part in other elements of prison life.
Government guidelines insist young children behind bars must have contact with their family and see the world outside prison, with trips outside jail with nursery nurses to go shopping and visit local parks.
The cost of formula and nappies would be taken from the prisoner's benefits.
After the 18 month period is up, if their mother is still imprisoned, they will be returned to life on the outside, either with a family member or in care.
A spokesman for the Howard League for Penal reform said: 'Forcibly separating a baby from his or her mother should only be done to protect the welfare of the child and too many babies are being taken away from mothers in prison'
The Government offers the places in the 'assumption that the best place for a young child is with his or her parent'.
Each application by a mother is considered by a board who will recommend to a prison governor if it would be best for the child if they come to prison.
'We provide Mother and Baby Units for the benefit of the prisoners' babies who would otherwise have to be separated from their mothers. The primary consideration is the best interest of the children,' he said.

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