Most women serve less than 6 months in prison. This short time disrupts her entire life, leading to the likely loss of her home, income, and custody of her children, whilst also leaving no time for rehabilitative support which can address underlying needs including mental ill-health, substance use, and housing needs. 17,000 children are estimated to be affected by their mothers’ imprisonment each year – 95% of whom will not be able to stay in their family home.
The Government’s projections released last week estimate that the population of the women’s prison estate could balloon to over 4,000 by September 2028, and today’s Capacity Strategy does little to address women’s specific needs. Whilst we are encouraged by the promised objectives of the Women’s Justice Board and the Independent Sentencing Review, these are in direct contrast to the commitments within today’s strategy to deliver more prison places.
For us, the solution is clear. We urge the Government to invest in Women’s Centres as an alternative to custody, where women can access practical and emotional support which responds to their specific needs which may drive their offending. Women’s Centres allow women to remain integrated in their community, to stay in their homes or access suitable housing, retain financial security and maintain their relationships with their children. These specialist spaces also offer good value for money – with prison places costing on average £79,000 per woman, support within a Women’s Centre can be as little as £2,000 per woman.
Media enquiries
For more information, please contact Tracie Couper, Press Officer at Advance, at tracie.c@advancecharity.org.uk or on 0743 2700 287.
About Advance
- Advance’s vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, equal, violence-free lives so that they can flourish and actively contribute to society. The charity works with women who experience domestic abuse to be safe and take control of their lives, and women who have committed crime or are at risk of offending to break the cycle.
- As well as providing direct support, Advance works with statutory services, government agencies and other women’s charities to ensure a holistic approach to the issues these women face.
- Women must be referred to Advance, via statutory services or the charity’s self-referral scheme. For more information about who Advance is able to support, please visit Get help
- For facts and statistics about domestic abuse and women in the criminal justice system, as well as Advance’s work, please visit Our impact
