FEMALE PRISON POPULATION REACHES NEW RECORD – CONFERENCE OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO CUSTODY FOR WOMEN

The Prison Reform Trust is calling for urgent action to reduce the number of women in jail in England and Wales as the female prison population reaches a new record of 4,477.

At the end of February eight  out of the 17 female prisons were overcrowded. These were: Buckley Hall, Cookham Wood, Eastwood Park, Highpoint North, Holloway, Low Newton, New Hall, Styal.

The number of women in prison has dramatically increased in recent years: over the last ten years it has nearly trebled and in the last five years it has increased by 40 per cent.

But imprisoning more women has not reduced re-offending. 52 per cent of women released from prison in 1998 were reconvicted within two years.

The vast majority of women are in prison for non-violent offences. They have experienced a range of problems including poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence, poor education and homelessness.

The Prison Reform Trust believes many more women offenders should be given treatment and support in community resource centres.

A conference taking place in Worcester on Friday will highlight the positive work taking place at the Asha Centre which provides a range of support services for disadvantaged women, including female offenders. The centre opened just under a year ago and has worked with more than 160 women to implement personal action plans to develop their resources.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, will tell delegates at the Asha Centre conference:

“Locking up vulnerable women miles from home, and miles from the support they need, does little to prevent offending and much to break up families and reduce the chances of finding housing or employment on release. It does not have to be like this. Few women offenders present a real risk to the public. For all but the most serious and violent offenders, support and supervision centres in local communities offer the best chance for women offenders to get out of trouble and take responsibility for their lives.”

Jenny Roberts, chair of the Asha centre’s management committee said:

“Women who offend very often do so because they are isolated from resources or lack the opportunity to take advantage of them. Asha fills that gap by bringing together essential provision in a dedicated environment.”