We welcome the moves announced by the Justice Secretary today to start addressing the dire state of our prison system. These plans have the potential to remove many pregnant women and mothers of young children from prisons that have never been, and never will be, a safe or appropriate place for them. We hope this paves the way for an end to the imprisonment of women in pregnancy and early motherhood in all but the most exceptional of circumstances.
These emergency measures must now extend into wider, sustained action to radically shift the focus of our criminal justice system. This system has always been one that heaps harm on top of harm, rather than one that addresses the root causes of offending – poverty, unmet mental health needs, and experiences of trauma and abuse. We need policing, probation and prisons to work together with the voluntary sector, health and social care services, housing and more, to get a grip on the myriad ways our society criminalises and condemns women and girls instead of supporting them and their families.
To discuss this issue, or our wider work in this area, please contact Kirsty Kitchen.
