Dubai: A team of 15 specialised nannies will look after infants and children of female prisoners in Dubai Central Jail as part of a project to improve living conditions for children.
Jailed mothers are allowed to keep their children under certain conditions but they must leave their children at a nursery and can’t keep them alongside them in their cells.
“We waiting for 15 specialised nannies to come and look after the children inside the jail. It is a five-star nursery with eight rooms and contains 57 beds for children designed in pink and blue colours with play areas and educational classes,” Lt Col Al Zaabi told Gulf News in an exclusive interview.
With 70 children of women inmates staying on the premises, Lt Col Al Zaabi thinks the nursery will be a brilliant solution to keep the children away from the prison atmosphere.
Imprisoned mothers can visit their children in the nursery and may also breastfeed the little ones and play with them anytime they want.
“Those children are from different ages, from newborns to seven-year-old. Children under age of two will stay with their mothers but older children will be living in the new nursery. The policewomen who work in the nursery will wear civilian clothes and not military uniform.”
Lt Col Al Zaabi said there is a doctor on the premises to check on the children’s wellbeing round the clock besides ensuring they have ready access to milk, hygiene and baby care products.
“The number of children is different from one day to another as some mothers leave and others come. We have newborn babies and we want them to have better conditions and provide best services for them by bringing specialised nannies. Those women [inmates] don’t have other place to keep their children with,” Lt Col Al Zaabi added.
The children receive their education inside the nursery to develop their skills and they are isolated from the inmates’ sections.
Lt Col Al Zaabi said that the nursery will be monitored around the clock by a policewoman.
The official assured that the department also assists with sending children to relatives or other family members even outside the UAE. “We try to contact relatives of the children to take their custody and are ready to pay for their tickets to send them to their home countries so they can live with his relatives as we know it is not good for a child to stay in a prison.”
However, some imprisoned mothers fail to look after their children, she said, adding that a social worker is always at hand to help such individuals.
“We had a mother who beat up her newborn baby who was a result of an illegal affair. She was blaming the child, that he was the reason she was behind bars. We warned her and she went through sessions with our social expert on how to deal with her child and [that] he is not responsible for her situation. We teach new mothers on how to deal with a child all the time,” Lt Col Al Zaabi added.
Eid gesture
About 65 children who had been with their mothers in the prison prior to Ramadan received Eid handouts in a special gesture. Lt Col Al Zaabi herself handed out the gifts to the little ones.
“We received an amount of money from Dubai Customs to give it as an Eid gift to the children inside the jail as part of a traditional habit in the UAE to give money to children on the first day of Eid. We want them to be happy and have a joyful time and good memories,” Lt Col Al Zaabi added.
