The women’s section of Prey Sar prison is to get a new building to house pregnant prisoners, those who have just given birth and mothers whose children are in jail with them, a prison official said yesterday.

Khlout Dara, director of Prey Sar’s Correctional Centre 2, which houses female inmates, said the maternity building would improve conditions for mothers and children in prison, while also reduce overcrowding.

“We used to have a building for children, but it was too small,” he said.

“The organisation has asked for an expansion to ease the burden of women who have just given birth,” he said.

He added that the new building, to be constructed with assistance from French NGO Médecins Sans Frontières, would provide a healthy environment and proper sanitation, and that some prisoners would have access to private rooms.

Am Sam Ath, technical supervisor for the rights group Licadho, welcomed the development, saying NGOs have been asking the government for some time to construct a separate building to better accommodate pregnant inmates as well as women living with their children.