New sentencing for women backed

The new economics foundation (nef) said well-managed community sentences, which address factors such as drug taking and education, were better value for money and more effective at cutting crime.

And the think tank called for a country-wide network of support centres to administer such sentences and prevent the cycle of re-offending.

Eilis Lawlor, nef researcher and author of the report, said: "With public finances now under considerable pressure, the case of women offenders is just one example of how Government failure to account for the real value of public investment is counter-productive.

"Our research shows that, for non-violent women offenders, effective community sentences that address the causes of criminal behaviour are more cost effective and are more likely to help them turn their lives around. Women, their children, society and the public purse all benefit if they are able to stay in their homes, keep their jobs and continue to look after their children."

The nef analysed the work of two centres which provide alternatives to prison, in Glasgow and Worcester. The think tank calculated that for every pound invested in effective alternatives to prison, society would benefit by £14.

It said if such alternatives achieved a 6% reduction in re-offending, the Government would recoup its investment in a single year. And it said the benefits would amount to a saving of more than £100 million over a 10-year period.

The report, Unlocking value: How we all benefit from investing in alternatives to prison for women offenders, called for measurement systems to track how effective sentences are in the long-term. And it said sentencing for non-violent women should take more account of the broader impacts on their families and communities.

The authors said their report reinforces the main finding of the Government-commissioned Corston Review last year, which called for a network of support centres to administer community sentences.

The report said the women's prison population has doubled since 1997. In the same period it grew twice as fast as that of men. There has also been a sharp increase in reconviction rates.