The SWAP campaign led by Women in Prison has received a massive 500 votes in support of its manifesto to halve the number of women received into prison. Many of these votes came from women currently in prison – women who were denied their right to vote in this election. Given the opportunity to have their say hundreds of women jumped at the chance with women in HMP Drake Hall gathering signatures of more than half of that prison’s population.
Acting Director Rachel Halford today wrote to David Cameron and Nick Clegg to call on them to build on the progress made following the Corston report and to name a Ministerial champion for women in the criminal justice system to ensure that there is strong, visible leadership on this issue from the very beginning of this government.
Women in Prison are also writing to the Secretary of State for Justice and the Home Secretary/Minister for Women and Equality to make sure they listen to the clear message from women inside that the system must change.
Rachel said:
There is cross party support for the recommendations of the Corston Report – this must provide a strong foundation for the work that is urgently needed to reform our criminal justice system. This system sets women up to fail because it is designed for men.
Progress has been made under the previous government. Failure to build upon this would send a clear message to a large group of vulnerable women that the government does not care about them and their families.
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