As a devoted mother having to accept the fact that my son was going to prison was soul destroying.

Family issues trouble you the most while you are in the custody. Maybe you have a spouse or children. Or you may have close relationship with some members of the family. Some of us might have children in different states or overseas.

Living grief, as a mother, is waking each day with the knowledge that your child is still here, yet not truly free.

With Mother’s Day this month, prison visits have never been more important. But for children with a parent in prison, or other loved ones, this process can be scary and intimidating, with a lot of rules and conditions.

Should going to prison mean never being allowed to hug your partner or child? Is denying physical contact a just punishment, or does it harm families and human dignity? And what do human rights have to say about it?

My partner gave me 24 frozen roses the Valentine’s Day he went to prison.

My loved ones go about their lives, their stories unfolding; while mine is caught in an endless, irrelevant loop. I’m a ghost, haunting their lives as they deal with issues and overcome hardships, with no ability to help them.

I was 12 when Mum went to prison. Instead of crying, I threw myself into planning everything we’d do once she came back.

To the mothers navigating the justice system, whether behind prison walls or holding it down on the outside while someone you love is locked away, we see you.

I am a prisoner at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre and have been since February 2022. I have no family in Melbourne that can visit me in person. Nor do they drop off property or top up my account with money. I solely rely on my wages from working a full-time job inside the prison.

I’ve done almost 10 years in prison and I’m totally done with it now and can’t wait to be out away from this place.