The Justice Secretary Shabanna Mahmood announced at the Labour Party Conference the government’s recognition that prison doesn’t work for women and their commitment to reduce the number of women going to prison, with the ultimate ambition of having fewer women’s prisons.
The Bishop of Gloucester, the Right Revd Rachel Treweek said, “For a number of years, I have been using my voice to campaign for change to the women’s justice system and raise awareness of the incredible work that takes place through Women’s Centres, so I welcome the Lord Chancellor’s commitment to reducing the number of women going to prison.
We know that the current prison system is failing both offenders and society at large and without addressing the root causes of crime and rethinking the role of prisons, the system will continue to perpetuate cycles of reoffending and broken communities. Evidence shows us that around 60% of women in custody are victims of domestic abuse and the root causes of many women’s offending is complex, requiring something other than prison to help set these women on better paths.
My hope and prayer is that the new Women’s Justice Board will look again at how Women’s Centres are funded and ultimately lead to not only supporting the most disadvantaged women, but also their children and wider communities being served better. I pay tribute to the many organisations and individuals who I have campaigned with for change and to those who work with women in prison and in the community, which makes a real difference every day.”
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Thank you for holding high the issues that relate to imprisonment of people in the UK. As a social worker for many years I have seen the dramatic impact that imprisonment of a parent can have on children in their families , this is especially the case when mothers are imprisoned. Prisons are not suitable places for babies and very young children but the emotional impact of separation on baby and mother can be devastating. Often women are imprisoned at times when children have been removed from their care as a consequence of the offences for which they have been convicted and many go on to have further babies as they seek consolation for their losses -this often stores up further emotional distress for both the child and mother in the future. There are many very important and valuable charity projects, often Christian, who work with women who have this experience to reduce the pattern of repeated pregnancies which may result in a series of court cases involving care arrangements for children and yet more pregnancies with immense emotional harm resulting. It is so important to find processes, including well-resourced and probation services to serve as effective alternatives to custody, as they can when left alone and not exposed to politically-driven re-organisation!