Children visiting their mothers in prison on Mother's Day this Sunday can look forward to a special day, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.

Corrections staff have organised a range of activities to acknowledge Mother's Day for visiting children and their mothers in prison.

Approximately 20,000 children in New Zealand have a parent in prison, and days like Mother's Day can be a very difficult day for them.

At Arohata Prison in Wellington, prisoners have made a Mother's Day banner to greet their visitors, and children will take part in face painting and craft activities. At Auckland Region Women's Corrections Facility prisoners in the Mother and Baby Self Care Unit will watch family movies.

Maintaining relationships while a parent is in prison can be challenging. Prisoners are able to send letters to their children and make phone calls from prison payphones. Every effort is made in visits centres to provide areas that are appropriate for children, within the limits of the secure environment.

'While Corrections provides tools such as education, rehabilitation and employment skills to reduce re-offending; family support can be a key motivator for someone to turn their life around,” says Ms Collins.

Charity organisation Pillars also work with Corrections to support and advocate for the children of prisoners.

Positive family relationships can be key to an offender's decision to cease crime and be there for their children to ensure that their lives don't take a similar path to prison. Research published by Pillars shows that children of prisoners are more likely than others to end up in prison themselves. The research also showed that positive contact between a parent in prison and their child improved outcomes for the child, and reduces their anxiety.

'It is important that we remember that the children of prisoners are not responsible for their parents' offending. They deserve to feel safe, supported and loved in order to create a future for them that is free from the impact of intergenerational crime and imprisonment,” Ms Collins says.

SOURCE: Office of Judith Collins