The Telegraph reported on Wednesday alleged plans from David Lammy to move women out of prison to free up capacity. Lammy to move women out of prisons to make space for men
Although not confirmed as policy, St Giles would welcome such a move. Our Chief Executive Tracey Burley explains why:
Custodial sentences are often an inappropriate, disproportionate and damaging outcome for women in the justice system. Most have unaddressed vulnerabilities driving their offending – community-based solutions are a more appropriate and effective solution.
At St Giles, we run services which support women in the community who are involved in the justice system or at risk of becoming so. The vast majority have committed low-level, survivalist offences with issues such as mental health, substance use and abuse trapping them in a negative cycle. We know that intensive support alongside community sentences can help women stabilise their lives and move forward. Locking such vulnerable women up in prison is damaging for them, their families and communities. Children are often left in freefall once a mother enters prison. Some lose contact with their parents as a result.
Studies have shown that women released from prison are more likely to reoffend, and reoffend sooner, than those serving community sentences. (Hedderman, C. and Jolliffe, D. (2015). Furthermore, 60% of women in prison have committed a non-violent offence and half are serving short sentences. (Ministry of Justice 2024).
With prison capacity experiencing a serious crisis, it’s time we had a pragmatic conversation about who really needs locking up.
In a time of limited resources and already high demand for services, we urge the government to ensure that third sector providers, who can support women in the community to make sustained changes and break cycles of prison, homelessness, poverty and reoffending receive sufficient funding and resource to provide support for the additional women being released.
Prison should be reserved for those who really pose a threat to the public and not be used to warehouse the vulnerable.
Tracey Burley, Chief Executive.
Further reading:
Read an evaluation of our Footsteps project helping women involved in or at risk of getting involved in the justice system: https://www.stgilestrust.org.uk/our-impact/evaluations-of-our-work/women-and-families/footsteps/