The Women’s Justice Board has published its first report. It says pregnant women should stay out of prison “in all but the most exceptional circumstances”.
The incoming Labour Government created the board in 2024 to reduce the number of women in prison.
The report recommends developing residential alternatives to custody, where pregnant women could live while on bail or serving a sentence. It also wants judges and magistrates to receive encouragement not to jail mothers of children under 18.
The board also wants changes in the law. These would reduce the number of women on remand, or recalled to custody after release.
It backs ‘deferred prosecutions’, which would give offenders a grace period to deal with the issue behind their offending.
The board also seeks greater use of Intensive Supervision Courts. In these courts, low-level offenders commit to treatment for addiction or other problems. They appear regularly before the same judge, who monitors their progress.
It wants women to have more ways to serve sentences in the community with specialist help. Wherever possible, they should stay with their children.
The report also targets the disproportionate prosecution of women in some areas. These include fines for unpaid TV licences or council tax, and school truancy.
England’s prisons hold around 3,300 women, who account for just 4 per cent of all prisoners. Research suggests two-thirds have experienced domestic violence and half have had brain injuries. Their self-harm rate is eight times that of men in prison.
The Justice Secretary, Mr Lammy, marked the report with new funding. He announced £32 million for women’s centres and charities that help female offenders.
The Ministry of Justice said the multi-year package represented a 50 per cent increase in funding. The money will help women get clean, find work and accommodation, and leave abusive relationships, the ministry said.
Mr Lammy said punishment must help women break away from crime. It should not keep sending them back to a cell. That cycle, he said, disrupts their lives and those of their children.
He described the funding as a landmark investment to help female offenders rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending. Helping women escape addiction, abuse and homelessness would prevent future victims and make streets safer, he said.
