This briefing was published to coincide with the launch of the Prison Reform Trust (PRT)'s drive to minimise the number of women who are imprisoned.
It begins by highlighting research and policy around the negative impacts of imprisonment on women's wellbeing, future life chances and importantly for us, the impacts on their children. Throughout the document reference to the children of female offenders is made including the new governments' plans to enable women with young children to serve sentences in the community, public opinion polls which tell us that the majority feel that young mothers especially who have committed non-violent crimes should not be 'locked up', earlier research which shows that lone mothers in particular commit crime as a means to support their children, and evidence to suggest that mothers self harm in prisons due to separation from their children. On page 5 there is a substantial section about the fact that female prisoners are far more likely than men to be primary carers of children. There are several statistics in this section about the multiple practical implications for children, families and women when there is a separation due to maternal imprisonment. The briefing also looks at the financial benefits of alternatives to custody for women including the suggestion that this will reduce the number of their children who might spend time as 'NEET' (not in employment, education or training) adults.
See PRT's briefing on why women's imprisonment should be reduced below:
