Women in Prison

"Prisons are not safe spaces for women – and many...should not be there in the first place. It’s time for a radical rethink." - Eva Wiseman via The Guardian: https://bit.ly/3LJEcpJ The article mentions our report on the Value of #WomensCentres, which you can read in full here: https://bit.ly/3y2bpt5 #TheAnswerIsNotPrison

“The first night I was so scared. You could hear the other women screaming and crying out. So many women in there are so unwell. They shouldn’t be in prison – they need mental health support.” - Nadia, a woman recently released from prison after months on remand. The Big Issue have covered the reality of life for women in prison, and what needs to change: https://bit.ly/4c5khfN #TheAnswerIsNotPrison

CW: self-harm Stats released by MinistryofJusticeUK today show that between January and March, incidents of self-harm have increased 29% in women's prisons. Read our response to these latest, deeply troubling, statistics in full: https://bit.ly/3YhPfxW #WomenInPrison #CriminalJusticeSystem

"Without community-based services that meet women’s needs around welfare, housing, domestic abuse and mental health, we are simply kicking the can down the road" - Nicola Drinkwater, our Director of Campaigns & External Affairs via The Times today. Writing in response to the Government announcement last week that people will be released early to ease overcrowding in men's prisons. https://bit.ly/3Lq7iKK

Media reports have predicted the new Labour government could authorise plans to release people with prison sentences of up to 4 years who’ve served 40-45% of their time, including women. Read our CEO Sonya Ruparel's full response: https://bit.ly/3zDk7P6

We have a message as we welcome our new Secretaries of State and Ministers: - Shabana Mahmood, Justice Secretary - Heidi Alexander, Justice Minister  - Wes Streeting, Health Secretary  - James Timpson, Prisons, Parole and Probation Minister  - Anneliese Dodds & Bridget Phillipson, Women & Equalities Secretaries Women are being criminalised while pregnant, and as a result of domestic abuse and mental ill-health, and then re-traumatised by our prisons, which are not a safe place for women. We know that the answer is not prison. As we call for the prioritisation of prevention, not prison, we look forward to working with the new ministers to reduce the women's prison population and end the harm of the criminal justice system on women's lives. https://bit.ly/NotPrison #TheAnswerIsNotPrison #WomenInPrison

Women in prison can lose their house, job, and children when they go into custody. 95% of children have to leave their home when their mother goes to prison, while in 2023, 72% of women in one prison were homeless or in unsafe/unsuitable accommodation on release. We know that mental ill-health, domestic abuse, and poverty are significant reasons for women’s offending. The answer to women is NOT prison. We are calling on the next government to prioritise preventative approaches that support women in their communities, so no woman is harmed by the criminal justice system. Take action now: https://bit.ly/NotPrison #PrisonIsNotTheAnswer #WomenInPrison

Trigger warning ⚠️ Dawn grew up with an abusive father and parents who misused harmful substances. At age 11, she left home and was abused by a man she calls her husband. She misused substances herself. As an adult, Dawn was arrested and sentenced to 9 years in prison. She says, “I lost everything.” 53% of women in prison have experienced abuse as children. 70% have experienced domestic abuse as adults, which can drive women’s offending due to coercion and pressure from a partner or relative. On leaving prison, abuse and violence also mean women have increased vulnerability to homelessness. The answer to women experiencing abuse is NOT prison. We are calling on the next government to prioritise preventative approaches that support women in their communities, so no woman is harmed by the criminal justice system. Take action now: https://bit.ly/NotPrison #PrisonIsNotTheAnswer #WomenInPrison

Anita was recalled to prison after an incident on a psychiatric ward. She was pregnant at the time, with a high-risk pregnancy due to her physical health needs. Her mental health quickly deteriorated in prison. She said, “In prison my anxiety and loneliness got even worse.” 76% of women in prison say they have a mental health problem, and self-harm rates in prison are at the highest rates ever recorded (up 11% in 2023). The answer to women’s mental health needs is NOT prison. We are calling on the next government to prioritize preventative approaches that support women in their communities, so no woman is harmed by the criminal justice system. Take action now: https://ow.ly/hrZ350Sr6X3 #PrisonIsNotTheAnswer #WomenInPrison

70% of women in prison have experienced domestic abuse. 76% report mental health problems Self-harm rates increased by 11% in 2023 amongst women in prison The answer to women facing mental ill-health and abuse is NOT prison. Join us in calling on the next government to prioritise preventative approaches, so no woman is harmed by the criminal justice system. Take action now: https://bit.ly/NotPrison #PrisonIsNotTheAnswer #WomenInPrison