Women In Prison Flashcards
To be able to remember the required knowledge of the troubles and issue women face in prison
What percentage of the prison population (England and Wales) are female?
<5% - Around 3,500 and 4000 offenders
What happened during 1995-2010?
The female prison population more than doubled
What are the main offences of female offenders?
Theft (Shoplifting) and/or drug, and drug related offences
How many female offenders are those in remand?
Around 2/3 of female population are in remand, with only 1/2 being convicted.
Prisons are … and for …..
Prisons are built by and for men
How far on average is the female offender sent to prison?
They are on average 64 miles away from home (in comparison to 50miles for men), however the majority are held further.
What percentage of female offenders are primary care givers?
55%
Are mental health concerns prevalent ?
Yes, around 25% of inmates who self-harm are women.
What happened in 2002/03?
6 female inmates died in prison, sparking investigation (corston report)
What occured at morton hall?
A pilot of intermittent custody for offenders who were mothers
What did the Corston report do?
Studied 500 female prisoners who were considered to be vulnerable
What was the main recommendation from the Corston report?
That female institutions be abolished and replaced with smaller local self-contained custodial centres in the community
How many recommendations did the Corston report make?
42
List a few other recommendations from the Corston Report.
- Needs a ‘radically different, visibly-led, holistic… women-centred approach’
- More use of community sentences
- Conditions to be improved
- Facilities are inappropriate or absent
What did the Gov do in response to Corston report?
They said they would take all the recommendations (except abolishment) on board. In fact, only: - 30 had some progress - 2 had been implemented - 13 had no progress
What was published in 2009?
All Party Parliamentary Group on Women in the Penal System (Chaired by Baroness Corston) published a 2nd report on women in the penal system.
What did the Home Office report suggest?
That women are, generally, a low-risk to public safety and that prison is largely ineffective
List reasons why there should be alternatives to prison?
- Women are primary caregivers, so best to avoid maternal separation
- Low-risk, non-violent offenders
- Most inmates on remand are not sentenced
- Economic benefits of community sentencing
What are the benefits of community sentencing?
- Women are more likely to complete their sentence than men (95% to 76%)
- Costs the taxpayer a lot less (£2,800 compared to £42,000)
- Analysis has shown that the outcomes for women on community orders are better than men (reoffending rates are lower)
Community sentencing has seen…
a decline year on year (in terms of issuance), yet there are more BAME men on community orders than women.
What are the benefits of mixed prisons?
- More likely to be closer to home
- Reduce costs
- Wider range of facilities
- Men and women live together anyway
What are the cons of mixed prisons??
- Women would be forced to adhere to harsher security and surveillance
- Women have different needs to men (Skewed running and facilities)
- Lack of appropriate facilities
- Problem of developing relationships
What did the Equality Act 2010 do?
Allows for women-only or women-specific services/provisions
UK is signed up to …
The United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial measures for Women Offenders
