Ten-year Anniversary of The Corston Report

This year is the ten-year anniversary of The Corston Report, a landmark review from Women in Prison’s Patron Baroness Jean Corston into women in the criminal justice system.

Women in Prison has launched a new report, Corston+10 which reveals the scale of reversal to progress made in reforming the criminal justice system and reducing the women’s prison population following Baroness Corston’s recommendations, that, in 2007, received all-party support and Government backing.

Baroness Corston published 43 recommendations calling for a gender-distinct, women-centred and holistic approach to supporting women affected by the criminal justice system. They gained cross-party support and were broadly accepted by three successive governments. With our prisons in crisis, deaths and self-harm on the increase, there is growing consensus that there is an urgent need to reduce the prison population and revisiting Baroness Corston’s recommendations is a good place to start on how to achieve this.

To launch Corston+10 and to celebrate and thank Baroness Corston for her continued dedication to the campaign WIP hosted a reception in Parliament. Around 160 people attended an afternoon tea reception in the House of Lords.

The reception brought together MPs, Lords, Prison Governors, Police and Crime Commissioners, NOMS officials and Council leaders. One of the biggest achievements of the Corston Report was to establish a network of Women’s Centres offering specialist and holistic support to women affected by the criminal justice system. It was fantastic to have so many Women’s Centre leads from across the country attended the event - including from North Wales Women’s Centre, Tomorrow’s Women Wirral, Nottingham Women’s Centre, Brighton Women’s Centre, Dawn Project in Cambridge and our very own Women’s Support Centre in Woking, WomenMATTA in Manchester and the Beth Centre in Lambeth.

Most importantly we also brought together women with experience of prison and the criminal justice system to meet MPs and share their story and ideas for change. The theatre company Clean Break also gave a brilliant performance with two actors from the company. The play performed was inspired by workshops held in prison.

We were delighted that the Secretary of State for Justice Liz Truss also joined us, gave a speech and listened to our calls for change.

Women in Prison presented Baroness Corston with a stunning bouquet of knitted flower, created by women from across the prison estate and also an embroidered handkerchief and knitted wall hanging. The brilliant organisation Fine Cell Work also presented Baroness Corston with a beautiful embroidered cushion made by a woman in HMP Send.