The age until which children are permitted to stay in prison with their mothers varies considerably across the WHO European Region. With a range from zero to six years old, the age of three years is the most common age limit for children to stay with their mother in European prisons. Norway is the only European country that totally prohibits children from staying with their mother in prison (Quaker Council for European Affairs, 2007). There could be a relationship between the category of prison, the average length of sentence and the policy governing children staying with their mothers.
