"There are too many women in prison who shouldn't be there, it doesn't stop them offending, it's very expensive and there are thousands of children affected by their mum's imprisonment every year" says actress Michelle Collins.

SmartJustice for Women, launched today at HMP Holloway, is calling for an end to the practice of locking up vulnerable women for non-violent offences and for an increase in the use of community based solutions to crime.

The female prison population has almost tripled in the last ten years with women now seven times more likely to be jailed by magistrates' courts than they were in 1991.

Nine out of ten are jailed for non-violent crimes - shoplifting is the biggest single reason women are sent to prison - and more than half are reconvicted within two years of release.

In addition, nearly 18,000 children are separated from their mothers by imprisonment each year.

Most women sent to prison have mental health problems, have experienced abuse or are addicted to drugs and alcohol.

"Locking up women who are vulnerable and desperate does not stop them committing crime," says SmartJustice Director Lucie Russell. "If we are serious about reducing women's offending we need to tackle the reasons they are committing crimes in the first place. The solutions lie in drug treatment, mental health care, jobs, housing and family support - not behind prison walls"

And actress Sheila Hancock says "I fully support the SmartJustice for women campaign. Locking up women for non violent crimes is both ineffective and counter productive."

SmartJustice for Women believes that the best way to reduce women's offending is by tackling the causes through:

" Improved mental health care
" Women-focused drug and alcohol services
" Community punishments specifically for women offenders
" Support for victims of domestic violence and abuse
" Education, training and employment opportunities for women at risk of offending
" Safe and decent housing
" Debt counseling
" Childcare so that women can access the above services

Research by the campaign has revealed examples of good practice throughout the country including:

The Asha Centre in Worcester runs a Women's Programme which aims to change offending behaviour through tackling the reasons that women are offending in the first place, such as abuse, drug misuse and low self-esteem.

Trevi House in Plymouth provides residential care for women with drug and alcohol problems along with their children. The centre works with the whole family rather than women in isolation.

The 218 Centre helps women in Glasgow break the cycle of crime and drug misuse by working with women to reduce their offending behaviour and drug use through building self-esteem and teaching basic life skills.

For more information, case histories or to arrange interviews please contact:
Lucie Russell: 0207 689 7734 or 07931 507873 or Sinead Hanks: 07931 380952

ends

Notes to Editors

1. SmartJustice for Women is a campaign run by SmartJustice which is based at the Prison Reform Trust

2. SmartJustice for Women is being launched today at HMP Holloway. Speakers include Fiona Mactaggart, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Michelle Collins, Actress, Clare Rayner, writer and broadcaster, Rachel Lipscomb, Chair of the Magistrates' Association and Tony Hassall, Governor of HMP Holloway.

3. Key facts about women and prison:

" There were 4,529 women in prison on 14th July 2005 compared with 1,811 in 1994.
" Nine in ten women are jailed for non-violent crimes
" Nearly 2/3 of women sent to prison are on remand awaiting trial or sentence. Of these, 59 per cent do not receive a custodial sentence and one in five are acquitted altogether.
" 2/3 of women prisoners have a drug problem, 2/3 have mental health problems and half have been victims of domestic violence
" Shoplifting is the biggest single reason women are sent to prison
" Eight in ten women shoplifters are reconvicted within two years of leaving jail
" Nearly 18,000 children are separated from their mothers by imprisonment each year.
" A woman is 7 times as likely to receive a custodial sentence in a magistrate's court than in 1991
" 6 out of 10 women are reconvicted within 2 years - 10 years ago it was 4 out of 10
" In 1991, 8 out of 100 women convicted of motoring offences were sent to prison. In 2001, 42 women out of 100 were sent to prison for similar offences
" A large proportion of sentenced women - 41 per cent - are held in prison for drug offences.
" 2 out of 3 women are sentenced to custody for 6 months or less
" Nearly 1 in 3 women prisoners are from minority ethnic groups

SmartJustice is a five year campaign which promotes community based solutions to crime. It is based at the Prison Reform Trust and supported by the Network For Social Change, the group behind the Jubilee 2000 Drop The Debt Campaign.