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For immediate release – Wednesday 4 June 2008
Women's Institute
passes historic resolution
The National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI), the largest voluntary organisation for women in the UK, today passed the resolution To Call A Halt to the Inappropriate Imprisonment of the Mentally Ill.
The WI, who have 205,000 members in England and Wales,
made the announcement at their Annual Conference in Liverpool.
This follows three SmartJustice surveys, which have found strong public support for improved mental health service in the community - instead of keeping seriously mentally ill people in prison, estimated by the NHS to number 5,000.
Speaking from the conference centre in Liverpool, Lucie Russell, SmartJustice Director, said:
‘In passing the resolution, the WI are saying loud and clear they want action to stop the needless imprisonment of the mentally ill and they join a coalition of organisations who have been campaigning on this issue.
‘Numerous public opinion surveys have also shown resounding support for better mental health care, instead of spending millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on sending the mentally ill to prison. This is a wake up call to government to take decisive action.’
ENDS
For more information and interviews contact:
Lucie Russell, SmartJustice 0207 689 7734 or 07931 507873
Sinead Hanks, SmartJustice 07931 380 952
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. SmartJustice campaigns for and 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, and the Big Lottery Fund. For more info call Lucie or Sinead on 020 7689 7734.
2. 2. The first SmartJustice opinion poll took place in January 2006 in conjunction with Victim Support. The second, about women in prison was carried out in January 2007. The final poll about young people in prison followed in January 2008.