Mothers are usually not allowed to spend enough time with their children. The harsh, punitive environment of prisons can permanently damage the psychological and mental well-being of children. This, in effect, means that worldwide large numbers of children spend some of their most formative years in prison, probably with life-long psychological consequences. Resources and attention allocated to their social, psychological and health needs in preparing them for release and following imprisonment arc generally very inadequate. Collaboration between prison authorities and civil, social and health services is often lacking.