Mother, 22, wants to have daughter stay with her while in jail

A convicted drug trafficker who smoked ice while she was pregnant has made an application to have her one-year-old daughter by her side in prison.

Georgia Tanya Herrmann, from Cairns, was sentenced to five years’ jail for her role in an drug trafficking syndicate in 2016.

The 22-year-old now wants her daughter, who can’t be named for legal reasons, to serve the part of sentence with her, according to the Cairns Post.

Georgia Tanya Herrmann, 22, was given a five-year sentence for her role in trafficking ice in 2016 and she now wants her daughter in prison with her

Barrister James Sheridan reportedly told the court that Herrmann had a troubled upbringing, and that the child’s father was also behind bars.

She left home at 13, tried ice for the first time at 16, and had recently returned home to her mother before her arrest.

She also consumed methamphetamine while pregnant, the court heard.  

‘Your child is now in a position where both parents will be in jail,’ Chief Justice Catherine Holmes said, according to the paper. 

‘You really need to do your best to set yourself on a reasonable path for when you’re released so you don’t go back to this kind of life if that child is to have any hope.’

Three of Queensland’s female prisons have units that accommodate women with young children or babies with them in prison, according to Library of Congress.  

Approval is based on the fact it is in the best interest of the child

Approval is based on the fact it is in the best interest of the child

One can accommodate eight inmates and their kids, another regularly has ‘up to six children, sometimes ten, placed with their mothers’ and a third has a unit that can house eight with additional places for mothers and babies in a double unit. 

In applying, the inmate is asked to acknowledge that they understand the child must be below primary school age, and if they aren’t the child can only stay during holidays and weekends.

Herrmann’s daughter will turn two in May. 

The child also must be immunised and it must be determined whether there is a court order preventing the child from living with his or her mother.

Three female prisons in Queensland are equipped to house mothers and their children

Three female prisons in Queensland are equipped to house mothers and their children

If the child is in care the child protection chief executive must consent to the living arrangements and above all it must be in the child’s best interests.    

The application process also includes an interview by the Correctional Counsellor.

It also details situations where the child can be taken away, such as; it is in the best interests of the child or facility, the child can start primary school or the parent herself requests it. 

Then there is liaison with Department of Child Safety and the Family Court, which checks to see if there are any court orders stopping the child from being with the mother. 

Ms Herrmann can apply for parole in September 2019. 

Your child is now in a position where both parents will be in jail,' Chief Justice Catherine Holmes said according to Cairns Post 

Your child is now in a position where both parents will be in jail,’ Chief Justice Catherine Holmes said according to Cairns Post 

 



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