MP calls for new approach to women in prison

Julie is calling for a new approach to women prisoners from Wales.

In an answer to a Parliamentary Question, Julie has learned that there are 183 women in prison in the UK who have Welsh addresses. The largest number is in Eastwood Park (81). There are 20 in Styal in Cheshire, serving North Wales, 19 at Send in Surrey, 19 at Drake Hall in Staffordshire and 15 at Foston Hall in Derby. The others are scattered about the UK, with under ten women from Wales in each other prison. There is no women's prison in Wales.

Julie said: "It is well known that the consequences for children when their mothers go to prison are dire. Only 5% of children stay in the home when their mothers are imprisoned and about 8% are taken into local authority care, whereas the majority of children of male prisoners remain at home.

"I believe that there should be a facility for women offenders in Wales, but I do not think it should be a conventional prison. I think it should be somewhere where women not only serve a sentence, but begin to rebuild their lives — somewhere that takes a holistic approach to women's offending, like the 218 service in Glasgow. This addresses the root causes of women's offending and offers medical, therapeutic and support services. The programme daws on all disciplines to provide a tailor-made treatment for each woman and is designed to break the cycle of offending and re-offending. I think we need to consider such an option in Wales for Welsh women prisoners."

Julie has previously given oral evidence to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons on the subject of women in the Welsh prison estate. You can read her evidence here.