The Women’s Justice Board (WJB) held its inaugural meeting last month, under the oversight of Prisons Minister James Timpson and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
The board, chaired by Lord Timpson, was unveiled last September with the following objective: reduce the number of women in prison and cut reoffending, while addressing the distinct needs of women in the criminal justice system (CJS). More than half of whom are mothers.
With the number of women prisoners in England and Wales on the rise, the WJB cites the following factors and statistics as the drivers for their mission:
-
An estimated 17,000 children are affected annually as a result of their mother being sent to prison, resulting in increased pressure on care resources
-
Significant government costs associated with running women’s prisons
-
Self-harm rates being nine times higher in women’s prisons than men’s prisons
-
Statistics revealing that the majority of imprisoned women have non-violent charges and most (55%) are domestic abuse victims
In addition to finding more cost-effective and humane alternatives to women’s prisons, the WJB is committed to better supporting children whose mothers are in prison in order to address the cycle of familial incarceration.
(
Humphrey Nemar/staff Photographer.)
The WJB chair and former head of Timpson Group—a company known for employing ex-offenders—has been increasingly vocal that women offenders should be treated differently from men.
In a recent interview with the Guardian, Timpson is quoted saying: “We would like to get to a stage where we can close a women’s prison. There are a number of women that need to be there…but there are far too many women, in my view, who are very ill. There are far too many women who are victims themselves. There are far too many women who are very, very vulnerable. Half are mothers, and the impact on their kids is massive.”
The feasibility of closing prisons will depend on the reform alternatives put forward by the WJB. The board is set to publish a strategy document later this year to detail the cost and social benefits of investing in community-based sentences for women. Community sentences include women’s centres, addiction and rehabilitation centres and electronic monitoring (“tagging”) as alternatives to prison sentences.
A statement from Dame Vera Baird, a member of the WJB and trustee of the advocacy group, Revolving Doors reads: “Too many women are in custody, many of whom are themselves victims of abuse and exploitation, experiencing unmet health and social needs which require support – not cycles of punishment.”