An incarcerated mother has revealed that her one-year-old son celebrated his first birthday in prison with a party that featured donated presents and a colorful cake shared by the prison staffers who served as the toddler's guests. Jayla Currie from Berne, Indiana, is a part of the Wee Ones Nursery program at the Indiana Women’s Prison, a system that was established in 2008 and allows mothers, like Jayla, to share rooms with their babies while they serve out their sentences. In 23-year-old Jayla’s case that means a 10 month sentence for drug charges. 'I’ve gotten to see Jayden reach all of his milestones,' Jayla told Yahoo Parenting of living with her son. 'The most amazing one was watching him take his first steps. It still scares me to death.' Unique location: Jayla Currie posed with her son Jayden as he enjoyed birthday cake at his first birthday party, which was held at the Indiana Women’s Prison . As a part of the program, mothers and their babies have private rooms in one housing unit, which also contains other female inmates, who don't have any violent offenses on their records, to serve as trained nannies and help care for the infants when the parents have to attend certain obligations. Jayla noted that their rooms are as 'homey as possible', adding that instead of the metal bunkbeds that are often associated with prison life, she has a bed, a crib, a dresser, a closet and even a chair. She explained that her unit has 38 women in it, meaning that Jayden has constant attention. The mother-of-one, who has already served three months of her reduced 10-month sentence for meth manufacturing and possession, never thought she would be raising her child behind bars. Her life started to spiral out of control when she dropped out of cosmetology school at 19-years-old. She started taking pharmaceutical drugs and began a relationship with a man who was making meth. Jayla recalled that by the time she was 20, she was frequently using drugs and had also stopped paying her bills. By 21 she began helping her boyfriend to manufacture and sell meth. Special bond: The 23-year-old is a part of the Wee Ones Nursery, a program that allows incarcerated mothers to share rooms with their babies . 'I was spending every waking minute trying to get high,' she said. A year later, she was arrested and charged with two counts of meth manufacturing and possession and sentenced to six years in prison. After her family posted her bond, 30 days after she was incarcerated, Jayla unexpectedly got pregnant during her 60-day release, something which she now describes as 'very bad timing'. Jayla then spent six months in county jail before she signed a plea bargain last March. When she was seven months pregnant, she was transferred to Indiana Women's Prison. Two months later she gave birth to Jayden in a single room with just a doctor and a female officer. 'I spent my whole pregnancy thinking I couldn’t keep my son because of the amount of time I had to serve my sentence,' she recalled. 'To be able to have him here with me is wonderful.' Added touches: Jayden's birthday party inside the prison included a sheet cake and numerous decorations . Different kind of home: This is an outside view of the Indiana Women’s Prison where Jayla and Jayden will live until her expected release this October . The Wee Ones Nursery program aims to help incarcerated mothers bond with their newborns in a way that would have previously been impossible for them. In order to quality, female inmates have to quality for certain criteria, including a release date that is not more than 18 months after their projected delivery dates. According to a 2013 study from the University of Indianapolis’ Community Research Center, incarcerated women who live with their newborn infants in the special nursery wing at the prison are more likely to retain custody of their children after release and less likely to be arrested again. After her expected release this October, Jayla plans on moving in with her mom and working at a recycling factory owned by her family. She is actually worried that leaving the prison community will be the hardest on her son, who has grown up with Jayla's fellow inmates. The devoted mother said that she will definitely tell him about his time in prison when he gets older. 'I’m not ashamed because I’m proud of who I’ve become,' she said.
Jayla Currie, 23, is part of the Wee Ones Nursery program at the Indiana Women’s Prison.
The program allows incarcerated mothers to share rooms with their babies while they serve their sentences.