UK plans to close women's prisons amid overcrowding crisis

The Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has announced a significant shift in the approach to women's incarceration in England and Wales, aiming to reduce the number of women in prison due to an ongoing overcrowding crisis. During her speech at the Labour conference in Liverpool, she highlighted the urgent need for reform, noting that many women in prison are victims of domestic abuse and that a large percentage are incarcerated for minor offenses. This initiative includes the establishment of the Women’s Justice Board, which will focus on decreasing the number of women’s prisons and promoting rehabilitation over incarceration. Mahmood emphasized that the current prison system fails to address the root causes of women's offending, with two-thirds of female inmates not having committed violent crimes. The Justice Secretary pointed out that imprisonment often exacerbates the cycle of crime, as women released from short sentences are more likely to reoffend compared to those given non-custodial sentences. This acknowledgment of the systemic issues within the justice system marks a pivotal moment for women's justice reform. The Prison Reform Trust and the charity Women in Prison have welcomed this announcement, viewing it as a long-awaited recognition that women do not belong in prison. They have advocated for a system that addresses the underlying issues leading to offending behavior, such as mental health and social support. The situation has reached a crisis point, with alarming rates of self-harm and inadequate care for vulnerable women, including pregnant inmates. In response to the crisis, the government has also initiated plans to release thousands of prisoners earlier than scheduled, reducing the time served from 50% to 40%. This move aims to prevent the collapse of the prison system while addressing the urgent need for reform in how women are treated within it.