“I spent many years in the revolving door going in and out of prison, every time I tried so hard to put the puzzle together – but being released homeless without an address, without a doctor, with no access to benefits or a bank account – it was impossible. My first probation appointment was two hours away and I couldn’t get to the appointment – so I got recalled and ended up back inside again. I nearly gave up and felt suicidal – the shame I felt was overwhelming and I had no hope.”  (Hope Street resident)

Leaving prison is often described by women as a journey that they are destined to fail, like walking off a cliff edge. This is why the charity for which I’m CEO, One Small Thing, developed our Hope Street project in Hampshire. Hope Street provides a residential alternative to custody for women in contact with the criminal justice system and their children.

Over the last 30 years, the number of women going to prison has doubled. Data shows that many of these women are stuck in a revolving door, serving repeat short sentences unnecessarily. In 2022-23,46% of women leaving prison were reconvicted within a year and, of those, 64% had been sentenced to 12 months or less in custody. This demonstrates what we already know – prison is not working to reduce women’s offending or support women when they are released.

It’s ironic that the last event in this series was focused on victims and this one is focused on prison leavers, when the stark reality for many women in contact with the justice system is that they are very often victims and survivors prior to being imprisoned.  For example, 70% of women in prison have experienced domestic abuse and 53% have suffered emotional, physical or sexual abuse as a child.  These women are amongst the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in society, with multiple unmet needs that derive from the repeated and accumulative traumatic experiences they have faced.

Research shows that holistic services that respond to women’s trauma in an environment in which they feel safe are key to reducing women’s offending. Hope Street does just that. Our blueprint for change has three core aims:

• To reduce the number of women in prison

• To prevent unnecessary maternal separation

• To enable women and children to lead happier lives free from the impact of crime

Women at Hope Street report feeling safer, supported and able to address the root causes of why they have found themselves in contact with the justice system.

But we need to move faster to prevent more women being sent to prison and into a system that also generates trauma for their families and their children. At least 17,000 children are affected by maternal imprisonment every year. With only 5% of children remaining in their family home when their mother goes to prison, many of these children end up in care.  The cost to the child is considerable – including an increased risk of suicide, early death and involvement in the criminal justice system, while the economic cost to local councils is around £300,000 per year per child in care.

We know that community alternatives to custody are more effective than prison both at tackling the root causes of crime, protecting the public and supporting families. There is a clear, urgent need to provide better support for women in the community, through residential alternatives like Hope Street and through women’s centres – this includes providing support for survivors of domestic abuse, enabling mental health treatment and neurodevelopment assessments, accessing recovery programmes as well as supporting relationships with their families.

I believe we now have a real opportunity to transform outcomes for women in contact with the criminal justice system and their children. With this Government’s commitment to reduce women’s imprisonment and the Women’s Justice Board recommendations to focus on early intervention, prevention and diversion – we can achieve lasting change.  I am particularly encouraged by the strong focus on pregnant women and mothers, and the clear call to end the imprisonment of pregnant women except in the most exceptional circumstances.

A staggering 68% of women in prison who were serving less than 12 months, stated that they needed help with previous or ongoing trauma, including domestic violence. It now requires sustained leadership from government, commitment and resourcing to ensure community based alternatives to custody that respond to women’s trauma, like Hope Street, become a reality for the majority of women.