MINISTERS’ plans to create 500 new prison places for women face mounting opposition following the launch of a new campaign against the move. 

In January, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced that it would build hundreds of new cells despite promises to reduce the number of women in custody.

The MoJ claimed that there was a need for extra places due to an expected increase in investigations and prosecutions as 20,000 more police officers are recruited. 

But campaign group Women in Prison argued that the plans “will only shatter more lives and unnecessarily separate families.”

Launching the campaign (https://campaigns.womeninprison.org.uk/stopthe500?utm_source=twitter) this week, the group highlighted the damage that incarceration does to women, with recent figures showing record levels of self-harm among female inmates. 

Women in Prison head of campaigns and communications Sorana Vieru said: “The devastating reality that coronavirus has had on women in prison and families is not simply a byproduct of the pandemic but of prison itself. 

“Strict regimes have exposed prisons for what they are – a dead end, unnecessarily tearing families and communities apart. We know that 95 per cent of children have to leave home when their mother goes to prison.”

Ms Vieru said that the government must instead invest in local services to tackle the problems driving women to offend in the first place. 
 
The Prison Reform Trust said that the plan for extra cells “marks a clear failure of existing policy to reduce women’s imprisonment.”

Policy officer Emily Evison said: “The vast majority of women are sent to prison to serve sentences of 12 months or less for non-violent offences. 

“Even a short-term rise in the population will … lead to more women serving pointless short sentences.”

The MoJ said: “Custody will always be a last resort, which is why we’re investing almost £2 million in community sentences that steer women away from crime and reduce offending.”