Scotland to Reduce Female Prison Numbers
Additional funding to help reduce the number of women in prison is to be handed over by the Scottish government. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said each of Scotland’s eight Criminal Justice Authorities (CJA) would receive an additional £100,000. News reported by the BBC.
He said the number of women offenders in prison had increased “sharply and disproportionately” in recent years.
A recent report by Holyrood’s Equal Opportunities Committee said too many women were being locked up. There has been about a 90% rise in the number of women being sent to Cornton Vale, Scotland’s only female prison, over the past 10 years, compared with a 16% rise for the male prisoner population.
The Equal Opportunities Committee report, which was published in November, found that 80% of female inmates have mental health problems, almost all have problems with drug or alcohol addiction and many have children on the outside.
Mr MacAskill said the extra funding demonstrated how seriously the government viewed the issue of female offenders.
He added: “The number of women offenders in the criminal justice system – especially the number in jail – has risen very sharply and disproportionately over recent years.
“Although women remain a very small proportion of the total prisoner population, the number of women prisoners has almost doubled over the 10 year period to 2007-08 – to a daily average of around 420.
“In general, and as the committee report recognises, the health and other needs of women offenders are more complex and wide-ranging than those of male offenders. So that is a range of needs that need to be addressed, be it in prison or in the community.
“I will be expecting to see positive results – that means more support for women to get their lives back on track.”
Each individual CJA will be allowed to decide how best to use the additional money.
But it could be used to introduce projects similar to the pilot support service with Barnardos for women from the south west of Scotland released from prison, and the Think Again project aimed at developing skills and confidence for women offenders in the Lothian and Borders.
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