40 The Bangkok Rules means of enhancing communication with families, such as via taped, videoed or e-mail messages. It must be emphasized that prison visits should always be free-of-charge in the case of all prisoners. Rule 44 This Rule aims to protect women from visits from those who may have abused or exploited them in the past and who the prisoners themselves do not wish to have contact with. Rules 45-47 These Rules take account of the particular support requirements of women during their social reintegration and re-entry to society, following release. Although many problems women face during re-entry are similar to those of men, the intensity and multiplicity of their post-release needs can be very different. Women are likely to suffer particular discrimination after release from prison, due to social stereotypes. They might be rejected by their families and in some countries they may lose their parental rights. If they have left a violent relationship, women will have to establish a new life, which is likely to entail economic, social and legal difficulties, in addition to the challenges of transition to life outside prison. Women are likely to have particular support requirements in terms of housing, reunification with their families and employment, and will need assistance. Women are more likely than men to have been treated for a mental health problem in prison and will be in need of continued psychiatric treatment or counselling after release. Former prisoners experience high rates of drug-related accidents, overdose and death. The risk of renewed drug or alcohol abuse is high among all former prisoners, particularly during the early stages following release, when the myriad difficulties associated with re-entry may lead to despair and relapse into former habits. The high rate of substance addiction among women offenders may therefore pose a significant obstacle to successful reintegration. Pre-release preparation and post-release support policies and programmes are typically structured around the needs of men and rarely address the gender specific needs of women offenders, with targeted continuum-of-care in the community after release. These rules aim to emphasize prison authorities’ responsibilities in ensuring that women receive the maximum possible support during this time, to ensure their effective resettlement and care and to reduce rates of re-offending. It should be recognised, however, that prison authorities on their own cannot ensure that the multiple support requirements of former women prisoners are met, and need the full cooperation of outside agencies and services, to fulfil the provisions of this rule, while such agencies and services need adequate human and financial resources from relevant authorities to be able to implement their responsibilities. Rule 48 The SMR provide very little guidance on meeting the special needs of pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and women with children in prison. There is no guidance provided on the treatment of the children themselves. In view of the number of women in prison who are pregnant or who have dependent children living with them, it has became essential to provide more detailed guidance and rules as regards their treatment, in order to ensure that both the women’s and the children’s psycho-social and health-care requirements are provided for to the maximum possible extent, in line with the provisions of international instruments. Programmes for birthing companions, where they are available in the community, should also be made accessible to women in prison. Rules 49-52 Viewpoints as to whether children of imprisoned mothers should stay with them in prison, and for how long,