PRT publishes new report: Resetting the approach to women's imprisonment: a case for change

This week, the Prison Reform Trust has published a new report – Resetting the approach to women’s imprisonment: a case for change, which provides an important evidence base for all organisations working with women in contact with the criminal justice system.

The report brings together national data, lived‑experience insights and cross‑sector perspectives to explain why women’s imprisonment has remained stubbornly high despite nearly two decades of policy commitments to reduce it. It also sets out what needs to change and highlights examples of effective practice already happening across the country.

Key findings include:

Women continue to be remanded and sentenced to custody unnecessarily, including for non‑violent offences and very short sentences that do not support rehabilitation.
High levels of recall, increased remand use and persistent short sentences are major drivers of the women’s prison population.
Women’s needs remain consistently unmet across statutory services, particularly housing, mental health, trauma support, domestic abuse responses and financial stability.
Many women are victims long before they are criminalised, and the impact of maternal imprisonment on children remains profound.
There is no shortage of evidence or policy frameworks; the gap is in implementation, leadership and sustained investment.
Women’s Centres and specialist women’s services are proven, cost‑effective alternatives to custody, but funding remains insecure and insufficient.
Stakeholders across the system, including women with lived experience, emphasised the need for time, trauma‑informed practice, better information‑sharing, and stronger local partnerships.

Why this matters for NWJC Partners

The report reinforces the coalition’s arguments, namely that reducing women’s imprisonment requires a whole‑system approach that spans housing, health, social care, VAWG services, children’s services and community support.
It highlights the critical role of specialist women’s organisations in diversion, early intervention and community alternatives to custody – strengthening the case for sustainable funding for this critical work.
The findings align closely with the Women’s Justice Board recommendations, and the priorities many women’s organisations are already advancing locally and nationally.
It provides authoritative evidence that we can use in our collective influencing efforts.
The report’s lived‑experience insights offer powerful testimony, reminding us how to centre such expert voices in our own work.

Please read and share this within your teams.