The Ministry of Justice has today announced that Greater Manchester has been awarded £24k to support the work being done with female offenders.
There are currently around 4000 women nationwide in prison. Women are much more likely to serve short sentences, have committed acquisitive rather than violent crimes, have dependent children and commit acts of self-harm in prison.
Many women at risk of offending have complex needs – they may have faced abuse in the past, have drug or alcohol issues, face serious mental or physical health problems, or be struggling to find a home or a job.
Minister for Women, Equalities and Family Justice, Caroline Dinenage, said:
“I am determined to see fewer women falling into crime and even ending up in prison because they aren’t getting the right kind of support to address underlying issues.
“Greater Manchester is already leading the way with their pioneering approach and I am delighted that to be working closely with them to help develop new strategies to support women off of the pathway into crime at an earlier stage.
“Not only will this funding change the lives of both women and their families by giving them a second chance to realise their potential, it will also cut crime and make our streets safer.”
The money will be used in these communities to put structures in place to assess and address the needs of these women at an early stage and provide the kind of wraparound support that can make all the difference in diverting them from crime.
Greater Manchester Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner “Greater Manchester has again been recognised nationally for its innovative approach to working with female offenders. Police, probation, health and other agencies now work closely with Greater Manchester’s network of women’s centres and voluntary organisations and the community to help women offenders tackle issues such as domestic abuse, mental health and substance abuse and break the cycle of reoffending. This funding will support the continuation of this work that is making a real difference to the lives of women and their families.”
