The government has announced a sentencing review to be led by former justice secretary, David Gauke. This is a vital opportunity to tackle serious concerns across the criminal justice system including the current prison overcrowding crisis.
Largely welcomed across the criminal justice sector, the review appears to signal a governmental shift in attitudes towards sentencing, especially for women. One key issue the review will investigate which could have profound implications for the women we work with is the use of short custodial sentences. In 2022, over half of all women in prison served sentences of less than six months. Although brief, short sentences have devastating consequences, causing women in many cases to lose their homes, jobs, and even custody of their children, all while increasing the risk of reoffending.
We are pleased that the review will explore how to make non-custodial sentences more effective in reducing reoffending, which will increase judges’ and magistrates’ confidence in them. Working Chance has advocated over many years for greater use of community sentences, as they allow women to serve sentences without derailing their whole lives and breaking up families, and ease pressure on overcrowded prisons. An effective community order can provide both treatment (for example for addiction or for mental ill-health) and punishment at the same time and can succeed where short prison sentences fail.
We would have liked the review to include the use of remand in its remit. As we know, women are more likely to be remanded to prison than men, sometimes under the misguided belief that it will be a ‘place of safety’ for them. Similarly to short custodial sentences, this harms women and their ability to rebuild their lives after being in prison.
Overall Working Chance supports the review and welcomes the appointment of David Gauke. We hope it will provide meaningful prison reform leading to fairer, more compassionate and more evidence-based treatment of women in the criminal justice system.
Alex Clarke
Policy Officer, Working Chance
