Bishop Rachel welcomes findings of Women in Prison report

Published: Tuesday July 26, 2022

 

Bishop RachelToday, the House of Common’s Justice Committee has published the long-awaited report into Women in Prison.

Bishop Rachel said, “I welcome the Justice Committee’s report into Women in Prison which lays out the brokenness of the current system. I urge the Government to fast-track the delivery of the Female Offender Strategy to prevent more women entering the damaging revolving door of short prison sentences and to address the underlying causes of offending.

“There has been so much good work done by academics, practitioners and policy-makers seeking alternatives to custody, where that is appropriate, and following trauma-informed practices to support many women in turning their lives around. This good work remains underfunded and muddled by inefficiency and lack of political will.

“This report makes some good recommendations, which I endorse. As Bishop for HM’s Prisons in England and Wales, I long for a criminal justice system that is restorative, responsible, and relational, and I long for the Government to listen to the evidence which is repeatedly being presented year after year.”

The report stated, “Whilst the Female Offender Strategy represented a welcome step forward in the Government’s recognition that a specific approach was needed to achieve outcomes for women in the criminal justice system, our Report raises concerns about the lack of progress the Government has made to date against the aims and objectives set out in the Strategy. For example, the Ministry of Justice now predicts an increase in the female population of more than a third over present levels in the next three years.”

Read more about Bishop Rachel’s work around prisons here –>

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