Six in 10 women sent to prison serve sentences of less than six months
Over half (58%) of prison sentences given to women in 2022 were for less than six months, despite a widespread recognition that short prison sentences are harmful and ineffective, a new analysis of local court area data published today by the Prison Reform Trust reveals.
The analysis shows that ‘theft from shops’ was the most frequent offence, accounting for more than a third (36%) of women’s prison sentences of less than six months in 2022. This is in comparison to just 16% of men.
The government’s Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan, published earlier this year, reaffirms a commitment to see fewer women in prison. The analysis shows that there was a welcome reduction of 44% in the overall use of imprisonment for women, down from 7,418 prison sentences passed in 2014 to 4,120 in 2022.
Yet despite these encouraging signs, there are concerns that this trend has reversed following the end of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on courts.
The women’s prison population on 6 October 2023 was 3,604—a rise of 15% since January—almost 500 more women. The latest Ministry of Justice prison population projections predict that the women’s prison population will rise to 3,800 by November 2024.
This analysis of local data also reveals significant geographical variations between police force areas. For example, in Nottinghamshire 73% of prison sentences given to women in 2022 were for less than six months. Whereas in Merseyside, 43% of prison sentence given to women in 2022 were for less than six months.
Figure 1 below shows the top 10 police areas where the highest proportion of women are sentenced to immediate custody for a period of less than six months in England and Wales. Figure 2 shows the bottom 10 police force areas where the lowest proportion of women are sentenced to immediate custody for a period of less than six months in England and Wales.
This geographical variation may, in part, reflect areas with more effective coordinated approaches to women in the criminal justice system. In some areas there have been concerted local efforts to develop more effective responses to women’s offending through joined up working between police, courts, and women’s services.
For example, in Greater Manchester, an area with a longstanding coordinated strategy, between 2014 and 2022 there was a 65% reduction in the number of women sentenced to less than six months, in comparison to a reduction of 52% nationally.
Commenting, Pia Sinha, Chief Executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said:
“Sixteen years on from Baroness Corston’s seminal review on women’s offending, we continue to see too many women being sent to prison to serve pointless short sentences. The government’s own evidence shows that community sentences see fewer people go on to commit crimes in future.
“The unfolding capacity crisis is a chance for a reset on how we use these ineffective disposals. In doing so, the government can learn from the progress made in many local areas to develop a joined-up response to women’s offending, which is often driven by addictions and mental ill health. The answers lie in proper investment in treatment and care in the community not prison.”
Downloads
Data tables summarising the use of custody for each Police Force Area between 2014-2022
DownloadFigure 1
| Police Force Area | Number of custodial sentences of less than six months in 2022 | Total number of custodial sentences in 2022 | Custodial sentences of less than six months in 2022 (% of total custodial sentences given per area) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dyfed-Powys | 20 | 20 | 100% |
| Gwent | 16 | 17 | 94% |
| Nottinghamshire | 97 | 132 | 73% |
| Cumbria | 21 | 29 | 72% |
| Suffolk | 26 | 36 | 72% |
| Durham | 40 | 57 | 70% |
| Derbyshire | 85 | 122 | 70% |
| West Yorkshire | 174 | 251 | 69% |
| West Midlands | 147 | 216 | 68% |
| North Wales | 58 | 86 | 67% |
Figure 2
| Police Force Area | Number of custodial sentences of less than six months in 2022 | Total number of custodial sentences in 2022 | Custodial sentences of less than six months in 2022 (% of total custodial sentences given per area) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warwickshire | 9 | 41 | 22% |
| Merseyside | 83 | 195 | 43% |
| Dorset | 10 | 23 | 43% |
| Sussex | 28 | 62 | 45% |
| Lancashire | 53 | 116 | 46% |
| Northumbria | 53 | 114 | 46% |
| West Mercia | 22 | 47 | 47% |
| Kent | 72 | 143 | 50% |
| Humberside | 62 | 119 | 52% |
| Gloucestershire | 12 | 23 | 52% |
*Note
Proportions can be skewed due to a number of factors, including but not limited to:
- A Police Force Area having a small number of women who have been sentenced to custody overall. Both Dfyed-Powys and Gwent have small numbers of women sentenced to custody.
- Operational issues such as courts sharing cases over multiple areas may be a factor behind the high proportion of women being sentenced to short sentences in some areas.
- Percentages may also be affected by the size of different catchment areas.
These figures need to be read in the context of the accompanying tables.
Statistics from Ministry of Justice Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly.
Analysis by the Ministry of Justice revealed that prison sentences of under 12 months with supervision on release are associated with higher levels of reoffending than sentences served in the community via ‘court orders’ (community orders and suspended sentence orders).
Analysis by the Ministry of Justice revealed that for those with more than 50 previous offences, the odds of reoffending were 36% higher where short-term custody rather than a court order was given.
