David Cameron has called for an urgent rethink of the way the prison system in England and Wales treats pregnant women and mothers with babies.

Ministry of Justice figures suggest 100 babies spent time living with their mothers in prisons last year. The prime minister said it was "absolutely terrible" to think of infants spending time behind bars. Labour said Mr Cameron had made promises on prisons before but they were still violent and overcrowded. Mr Cameron, who is due to give a speech on prisons policy on Monday, said: "There are actually women in these prisons who were born in the same prison 20 years earlier, and then have ended up there later as criminals themselves.

"Think of the damage done to the life chances of these children."

'Break the cycle'

At present, when a woman gives birth while serving a custodial sentence, she is usually transferred to a prison's mother-and-baby unit (MBU) for an initial period. MBU policy requires that these units should be available to accommodate babies up until the age of 18 months.

Mr Cameron said:
"It's time to think seriously about whether this is the right approach.
"We've got to break this cycle."

The review will look at whether female offenders with babies could be dealt with by special problem-solving courts, housed in resettlement units or electronically tagged, rather than being locked up.

Downing Street said alternatives to custody would not be appropriate in every case and in some circumstances it could be in the best interests of the child for both mother and baby to be together in prison.