Female ex-prisoner: 'I knew my children were suffering'

A former prisoner has spoken out in favour of prison changes which would see women prisoners get to spend more time with their children and serve sentences closer to home.

Paula Harriott, who spent four years in jail for supplying drugs, believes the so called "resettlement prisons" will help prevent children of prisoners from falling into crime.

The mother of five told BBC Radio 5 live's Breakfast: "I knew that my children were suffering intensely and having to cope with not having a mum... they were the innocent victims of my bad parenting."

"Children of imprisoned parents are are more likely to get into the criminal justice system... and if we can do stuff that enables those children to escape that destiny that's better for the community as a whole."