Women in Prison - Home

Women in Prison - Home: "Women in Prison (WIP) is a charity working with women at risk of going to prison, in prison and after release to promote their resettlement, personal development, education and training.

We educate the public and policy makers about women in the criminal justice system and we promote alternatives to custody.

Prison causes damage and disruption to the lives of vulnerable women, most of whom pose no risk to the public.

* 70% of women prisoners have mental health problems.
* 37% have attempted suicide.
* 20% have been in the care system as children compared to 2% of the general population.
* At least 50% report being victims of childhood abuse or domestic violence.


Prison is often a very expensive way of making bad situations worse.

* Nearly 40% of women prisoners lose their homes as a result of imprisonment.
* 65% re-offend on release.
* A prison bed costs between £25,000 and £45,000 a year.
* The most common offences for which women are sent to prison are theft and handling stolen goods.
* The women’s prison population went up by 173% in the decade to 2004.


Prison does not work. The best way to cut women’s offending is to deal with its root causes."