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The number of female arrests has risen by 50 per cent. Our research shows prisons aren't the answer

A new report from the Prison Reform Trust has found a spike in female arrests since 2015 - © Mike Goldwater / Alamy Stock Photo
A new report from the Prison Reform Trust has found a spike in female arrests since 2015 - © Mike Goldwater / Alamy Stock Photo

In 2016 ‘Sarah’ was arrested for low-level criminal damage during a particularly chaotic period in her life, where police expressed concern that she may be using drugs again having been clean for over 10 years. From 2015-2016, the number of female arrests in certain parts of the UK skyrocketed by 50 per cent; Sarah could have been charged, but instead the police referred her to a scheme offering specialist support for women at risk of further offending.

While initially reluctant to engage with the programme, staff were persistent. In the weeks that followed, Sarah began to open-up about her life for the first time: an action plan was agreed and staff found her accommodation and treatment for a long-standing mental health condition. This support was conditional upon Sarah’s promise that she desist from any further offending.

It is early days for Sarah but she has made significant progress. She has stayed clean, left a violent relationship and has not committed any offences for six months. She now voluntarily attends the centre to share her experiences and give back to other women in a similar position.

Her story demonstrates what can be achieved when the police work in partnership with a full spectrum of local services, including specialist women’s centres, to halt the costly revolving door of our creaking criminal justice system. Unfortunately, not all women will get this second chance. In a new report released today the Prison Reform Trust reveals that there are still significant issues with how the police deal with women, with opportunities to reduce female offending and protect the public being missed.

Womens prisons visitation rights

Women represent a small minority of those in the criminal justice system and their experiences differ significantly to men. In 2015-16 almost 140,000 women were arrested in England and Wales compared with over 750,000 men. Most women entering prison have committed a non-violent offence and over 70 per cent were serving sentences of six months or less.

More than half of women in prison report a history of domestic abuse and the same number report having experienced emotional, physical or sexual abuse as a child, compared to 27 per cent of men. It is estimated that more than 17,000 children are separated from their mothers as a result of women’s imprisonment.

We can and should do better. Violence against women and girls must now be a top priority for the Home Office. The Justice Secretary Liz Truss has recently made clear that ‘early intervention is not a ‘nice to have’ added extra to the justice system, it is vital if we are ever to break the cycle of crime, punishment and more crime.’  

At a glance | Prison population figures

Like all public services the police are under pressure to do ‘more with less’. Our report ‘Fair Cop?’ profiles a number of schemes in Durham, Manchester, Surrey and Wales that are leading the way in tackling low level, non-violent crimes committed by women, setting out simple, practical steps that all police forces can take to improve how they work.

The government has recently committed to opening five new community prisons for women in England and Wales. They would be better off investing that money in the type of scheme that benefitted Sarah. Unlike prisons, which diminish responsibility and increase dependence, early intervention at the point of arrest is vital in allowing vulnerable to women take responsibility for their lives.