Reports

There are too many women in prison who don’t need or deserve to be there. More than 80% of the women in prison are there for low level, non-violent offences and about half of the women in prison are there for theft.

Most women are sentenced to very short lengths of time. In 2020, 70% of sentences were for less than 12 months. This isn’t enough time for any meaningful rehabilitation, but is enough time to lose your home, your children and your job.

Women in prison are also a highly vulnerable group, with 60% of women inside having experienced domestic abuse and 70% having mental health issues. Many of these women do not need to be in prison. We need a justice system that is responsive to the root causes of crime and seeks to rehabilitate women, rather than torpedo their lives.