The CJA Awards 2025
The Lost Mothers team was thrilled to receive the Research Excellence Award at the Criminal Justice Alliance Awards, especially in a room filled with such inspiring work and strong contenders.
The evening carried real emotion, with a powerful speech from Shabina, one of the actors in Scenes from Lost Mothers, and with members of our lived experience team, Birth Companions, and Clean Break there to celebrate together. This recognition means a great deal to us because it reflects the power of collaborative, lived-experience-led research and the courage of the mothers who trusted us with their stories. We carry them with us as we continue pushing for change.
This research project is funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Researcher of the Year Award
We are proud to share that Dr Laura Abbott, lead researcher and founder of the Lost Mothers Project, has been named Researcher of the Year at the 2025 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards at the University of Hertfordshire.
This prestigious recognition celebrates Laura’s outstanding contribution to maternal health research, particularly her work exploring the impact of forced separation between imprisoned mothers and their babies. Her commitment to championing the rights and experiences of vulnerable women—regardless of background or circumstance—has received wide national attention and driven real-world policy influence.
In the words of the Vice-Chancellor:
“The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards are a celebration of those exceptional colleagues who make a real difference across our University—whether through teaching, research, support or innovation. Laura’s work exemplifies that spirit. It’s inspiring, courageous, and truly impactful.”
We extend our warmest congratulations to Laura and thank her for continuing to elevate the voices of women affected by incarceration and separation.
A National 1001 Days Pathway for Pregnant Women and Mothers on Release from Prison: Closing the Release Gap
Policy Brief, The Lost Mothers Project team, University of Hertfordshire, 16 July 2026
This policy brief sets out the case for a nationally funded, co-produced 1001 Days pathway for pregnant women and mothers of babies under two involved in the Criminal Justice System. Drawing on evidence from the Lost Mothers Project, it highlights the urgent need for coordinated support from custody to the community to improve outcomes for women, babies and families.
The Lost Mothers Project Full Report
Maternal Separation in English Prisons
This report presents the findings of the Lost Mothers Project, which explores the experiences of incarcerated mothers, separated from their babies, and the professionals who support them. The research highlights the complex and multifaceted challenges faced by women in prison, particularly those who are separated from their babies at or around birth. For many women, the physical and emotional craving to care for their children is overwhelming, compounded by trauma, grief, and the invisibility of their mental health needs. These women often internalise their suffering, struggling to maintain their maternal identity while feeling judged and isolated. Despite these challenges, hope persists, and many mothers strive to preserve their identity as caregivers in an environment that often fails to recognise their unique needs. Institutional sensitivity is crucial, yet often lacking, in acknowledging and addressing the emotional and psychological toll of incarceration on new mothers.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
In the UK, numbers of pregnant women are not routinely collated, but estimations suggest that 6-7% of the female prison population are at varying stages of pregnancy and approximately 100 babies are born to incarcerated women each year. There are no exact data of the numbers of newborn babies removed from their mother at or soon after birth. There are six Mother and Baby Units (MBU) in the 12 women’s UK prisons in the UK, currently, all underutilised. Accounts from qualitative research of women being mandatorily separated from their new-born babies demonstrate a deep sense of loss, yet surprisingly little research has examined experiences of the process of separating mothers from their babies. The study is the first project to link the professions of social work, Health Visiting, midwifery and criminal justice staff, with the experiences of women who have been in prison at the heart of the research.
Recommendations arising from this research has the potential to build upon and further improve understanding of women’s experiences and the procedures involved in removal of new-borns from their imprisoned mothers. The project will benefit academic and health research, notably the sociology of health and illness, criminology, midwifery, health visiting and social work.
Art works by Beci Ward https://www.studiobeci.com/
THE LOST MOTHERS PROJECT
This project will comprise qualitative semi-structured interviews of the key professionals involved with pregnant women who have Criminal Justice System (CJS) involvement.
Women who have been or who are in the process of being separated from their babies will be offered an in-depth face-to-face interview. The charity, Birth Companions and their Lived Experience Team will act as consultants to the project helping with recruitment, introductions, advising on participatory information, interview questions and consent forms. Non-participant observation of the processes involved will take place.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:
Research partners:
