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Notices and Press Releases

Fawcett : comments on the Government's announcements on women offenders

Commenting on today's Government's response to the Corston Report on women and the criminal justice system, Dr Katherine Rake, Director of the Fawcett Society, said:

"Prison for women simply isn't working. 64% re-offend, nearly 18,000 children are separated from their mothers every year by imprisonment, and seven women have already taken their own lives in prison this year.

"Today's proposals are a welcome first step in addressing this, and signal a shift away from an over reliance on custody towards a greater use of community sentences for women. What is needed now is a real financial investment in community provision for women who offend, and it is disappointing that no significant new funding is included in today's announcement.

"The Government must put its money where its mouth is by investing in community sentences for women instead of in prisons. Otherwise, today's proposals will be an empty gesture which will do little to reduce re-offending or make a difference for women offenders and their families."