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Crime Solicitors

£800,000 in funding to help break cycle of female prisoners re-offending (28 March 2017)

Date: 28/03/2017
Duncan Lewis, Crime Solicitors, £800,000 in funding to help break cycle of female prisoners re-offending

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced £800,000 in funding to help vulnerable women turn their backs on crime.

The funding has been allocated to six regions across England and Wales to tackle re-offending, including Lancashire, Shropshire, Norfolk, Sussex, Surrey and Devon.

Justice Minister Dr Phillip Lee announced the scheme and said the money would be used to provide more joined up and tailored support for local women at risk of crime or already in the justice system.

Local agencies and services will work together to provide wraparound care and support to women, with some areas using the funding to help generate better working relationships with counterparts in the NHS, courts and police, making sure that vulnerable women have access to the services they need.

The MoJ said that one area which had benefited from the funding had developed a successful early intervention pilot, identifying female offenders as soon as they came into contact with the police.

Figures show nearly half of women released from prison re-offend within a year – and many suffer from a range of complex issues, including substance misuse, mental health problems and domestic violence. This requires specialist support and intervention to improve lives and end the cycle of re-offending, which costs the taxpayer £15 billion a year, said the MoJ.

Justice Minister Dr Phillip Lee added:

“I am delighted to announce this investment in support for female offenders, which will help local areas to support vulnerable women and get them out of the cycle of crime. Many women who are at risk of offending or re-offending have a range of complex circumstances – our funding will help local areas provide the support women need to lead crime-free lives, helping to reduce re-offending, cut crime and make our streets safer.

“I am absolutely committed to improving support for women as part of our wider reforms – and we will set out our strategy to improve outcomes for female offenders later in the year. The money will be used in these communities to put structures in place to assess and address the needs of these women at an early stage – and provide the kind of wraparound support that can make all the difference in diverting them from crime.

“The areas will develop their own unique strategies, which are best targeted to address the needs of women in their areas, working across local public and third sector organisations.”


The announcement builds on whole-scale changes taking place across the criminal justice system, following the publication of the Prison Safety and Reform White Paper in November 2016, which gives prison governors more powers over education, work and health, so they can tailor support to the prisoners in their charge.

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