Report published on women offenders

The Commission on Women Offenders, established to examine how female offenders are dealt with in the criminal justice system, has produced its final report.

The Commission’s remit was to set out a series of measures to help reverse the continued rise in the female prison population, which has doubled in the last decade.

Commenting on the report, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:

“The independent Commission has made recommendations which, taken together, set out a vision for how we can work effectively with women to reduce their offending and ultimately reverse the ten year upward trend in female imprisonment rates.

“Protecting the public will always be my top priority, and prison remains the only option for the most serious criminals, men and women. However, only 2% of female prisoners were involved in serious violence last year, with the majority of the population not posing a serious risk of harm to the public. So, instead of spending taxpayers money to keep offenders who do not pose a serious risk of harm to the public locked up, we must find better and more cost-effective ways of addressing their behaviour by offering real and meaningful ways for them to rehabilitate themselves in the communities that they are part of.

“The Commission has reported on the continuous pattern of offending of many of the women held in prison, and the damaging cycle that they are so often unable to break. It is clear that there are better solutions to stopping female reoffending than simply locking them up. Many female offenders are deeply vulnerable people for whom offending is a result of chaotic lifestyles, mental health difficulties, and severe addiction problems. Many will have been the victims of abuse in their lifetime.

“It is in society’s interest to reduce the number of female offenders and consequently reduce the family break ups that often result, and the detrimental impact that can have on the life chances of their children who are ultimately our citizens of the future.”