City And Hackney Mind Campaigns

CORSTON IMPLEMENTATION COALITION

Just solutions for Women offenders
Campaigning for the implentation of the Corston Report in full

National Campaign Launched for Radical Change

The Scandal of Women in Prison in the UK - the facts ...
Up to 80% of women in prison have diagnosable mental health problems.

• The majority of women prisoners are serving short sentences for non-violent crimes such as theft and handling stolen goods.
• 50% of women in prison have at least one personality disorder and a high rate of severe mental illness such as schizophrenia or delusional disorders
• More than 50% of women in prison report having experienced domestic violence, physical, emotional or sexual abuse and 40% say they have attempted suicide at some time in their life.
• Many women in prison can be described as victims as well as offenders.
• Proportionately more women than men are remanded in custody.
• Relationship problems feature strongly in women's pathways into crime including coercion by men.
• Around 55% of women in prison have a child under 16, 33% a child under 5 and 20% are lone parents.

This Campaign that was launched on 12 June 2007 at the House of Commens to urge the government to take urgent action to stop women with mental health problems being sent to prison. The aim here is for the government to invest in mental health provision, drug treatment and support and supervision in the community.

For further information please contact Krishna Maharaj, Chief Executive, on 020 8525 2306.

More information on the campaign at: www.womeninprison.org.uk/corstonreview