Women in Prison respond to overcrowding crisis and impact on women’s prisons

For immediate release, 11 July 2024. Contact [email protected]
  • Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood announced on Friday 12 July, plans to ease overcrowding in men’s prison
  • The new Labour government authorised temporary plans to release people with prison sentences who’ve served 40% of their time
  • This could include 1000s of women currently in prison, many of whom are serving sentences under 12 months for non-violent offences.

Sonya Ruparel, CEO of Women in Prison commented:

“Labour’s plans to ease overcrowding by releasing women on short sentences is a good thing.

These proposals validate that most women should not be in prison in the first place. Most are there on short sentences under 12 months, for non-violent offences. And we know women are swept into contact with the criminal justice system because of drivers like mental ill-health and domestic abuse.

The new government need to ensure that all women can access the support they need in the community on release. This is an important opportunity to act now so we don’t have a crisis for women down the line.

We urge the government to prioritise prevention and invest in community-based support services that respond to women's needs and prevent them from being swept into the criminal justice system in the future.”

ENDS

Editors notes

  • Women in Prison (WIP) is a national charity that delivers support for women affected by the criminal justice system in prisons, in the community and through our Women's Centres. We campaign to end the harm caused to women, their families and our communities by imprisonment
  • The Answer Is Not Prison campaign was launched by WIP ahead of the general election to urge the new government to prioritise prevention for women rather than criminalising them and cutting them off from their community in prison. The goal is to ensure that women facing mental ill-health, abuse, and other challenges receive the support they need within their communities.

Key statistics

According to the Ministry of Justice, the women’s prison population is projected to increase to 4,200 by November 2027 (1).

Self-harm incidents in women’s prisons increased by 11% in the 12 months to December 2023 (2).

The majority of women in prison (82%) report that they have mental health problems compared with just over half of men (59%) (3).

Seven in 10 women in prison reported that they had been a victim of domestic violence (4).

1. Prison Population Projections: 2023 to 2028, Ministry of Justice

2. Safety in Custody Statistics, England and Wales: Deaths in Prison Custody to December 2023 Assaults and Self-harm to September 2023

3. Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile, February 2024, Prison Reform Trust