giving young women a voice

Girls and young women are being asked to write about their major concerns and the issues that could prevent them achieving their potential - which may result in action to improve the lives of millions of people.

The influential National Council of Women is holding a national competition asking women under 30: If you could influence Government to take some action to improve the lives of women, what would it be?

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community justice for women

Thousands of vulnerable women who have committed non-violent offences are unnecessarily sent to prison each year in England and Wales. Just before Christmas, the House of Lords amended the Crime and Courts Bill to ensure that appropriate community-based options for women should be provided across England and Wales. Unfortunately, the amendment was struck out in the House of Commons, on 5 February.

Listen to PRT's director, Juliet Lyon and Joy Doal of the Anawim women's centre, talking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour about the vital role community sentences have in reducing women's reoffending.

Prison and disability

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, was a guest on BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours programme on Monday 20 August talking about the treatment of people with disabilities and social care needs in prison. Listen to the programme by clicking this link.

People want offenders to make amends, poll reveals

ICM survey results offer massive vote of support for community payback and restorative justice.

The results of an ICM telephone poll of 1,000 members of the public, conducted one month after the riots in England, show overwhelming popular support for constructive ways in which offenders can make amends to victims for the harm they have caused.

Read more and by clicking this link

smartjustice for women

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Government plans for prison building and closures

10/01/2013 12:22:00

Commenting on new government plans for prison closures and building, Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

"Closing prisons and reducing prison numbers offers major social and economic gains but it would be a gigantic mistake if the Justice Secretary were to revive the discredited idea of titans and pour taxpayers' money down the prison building drain, when the Coalition Government could invest in crime prevention, healthcare and community solutions to crime.

"Small community prisons tend to be safer and better at reducing reoffending than huge anonymous establishments.

"Prison is an important place of last resort for serious and violent offenders not, as it has become, a place to dump people who are mentally ill, those with learning disabilities, addicts and vulnerable women and children."

Plans to build three 2,500-capacity "Titan" jails by the previous government at a cost of £2.9 billion were scrapped in 2009 following representations by the Prison Reform Trust and allied organisations. Read our briefing here.

New Prison Service policy on sentence planning

20/12/2012 11:17:00

A new prison service instruction is set to improve sentencing planning for prisoners, especially for those serving an Indeterminate sentence for Public Protection (IPP) and for people who have a learning disability.

Public back community and health solutions to cutting crime

18/12/2012 15:21:00

A YouGov opinion poll, released today by the Prison Reform Trust, reveals strong public support for effective community and public health measures to prevent crime and disorder.

The poll is launched ahead of the delayed announcement by the Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, confirmed today in Parliament for early in the New Year, which is expected to introduce radical changes to the probation service and the way in which community sentences are delivered.

Treatment for drug addiction, intensive supervision of community orders, and mental health care were the top three solutions to get public backing in the poll commissioned by the Prison Reform Trust.

Public say top three solutions to women's offending lie in health not criminal justice

26/11/2012 00:01:00

A YouGov opinion poll, launched today by the Prison Reform Trust, reveals strong support for public health measures to tackle women’s offending. Treatment for drug addiction, help to stop alcohol misuse, and mental healthcare, were the top three solutions to get public backing for reducing offending by women who commit non-violent crimes.

The Prison Reform Trust is launching these poll results on the day that Dame Elish Angiolini delivers the Prison Reform Trust lecture 2012 on Reforming Women’s Justice. You can watch the lecture here and read it here.

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featured publication

Prepared by Jenny Talbot for frontline staff in the criminal justice system and the NHS, Fair Access to Justice? explains how people with a learning disability who have to appear in court are given extra support or 'special measures' to help them understand and cope with the process. The briefing states that vulnerable defendants should be legally entitled to the same support, in order to ensure they get a fair trial.

Talking Justice: Talking Sense

Care not Custody

Turning Young Lives Around