Jail-alternative centre set to aid female offenders

ANEW centre for women suffering with issues such as addiction and trauma is set to open in Wales, with the facility being the first of its kind.

The 12-bed Residential Women’s Centre in Swansea will open its doors in 2024 for around 50 offenders a year who would have otherwise been given a prison sentence of 12 months or less.

Designed to tackle the root causes of low-level female offending, the £10 million centre is being described as a “key part” of government plans to minimise the number of women sent to prison in England and Wales.

It is specifically designed to address the fact that many women who commit low-level crimes, such as shoplifting, and minor drug- and alcohol-fuelled crimes, are driven by underlying and complex factors. Statistics show more than 60 per cent of women in custody have reported experience of domestic abuse, up to a third have been victims of sexual assault, and 50 per cent have drugs misuse needs.

Prisons Minister Victoria Atkins said: “We want to drive down the number of women who are sent to prison for short sentences and help them to break the cycle of offending. To truly achieve that, we need to tackle the complex factors which often underpin their behaviour.

“This centre is designed to address those underlying issues head on, while allowing the women to stay close to their home and crucial support networks.”

Offenders at the centre will receive one-to-one mental health therapy, counselling to address their trauma from abuse, and support to overcome addictions.

The service will also provide longer-term support for women to help them find a job and maintain family relationships as they transition to life back in their communities, to help prevent re-offending.

The centre will be run by the probation service, and during their stay offenders must agree to work with the staff and comply with the no alcohol or illegal drugs policy.

Only offenders from the local community will stay at the centre. They will live there for up to 12 weeks as part of a community sentence, so they can maintain contact with their families and children.

Female offenders who are not required to stay in the residential unit as part of their sentence will also be able to benefit from services provided by the centre.

The site will now be subject to planning permission from Swansea council, but if given the goahead, it will run as a pilot for five years, bolstered by at least £10 million of government funding.

Danielle John, from south Wales, spent time in prison for shoplifting offences to fund a drug addiction, after a difficult childhood and domestic abuse in her early adult life. She now works for the St Giles Trust as a peer mentor for others now in the criminal justice system.

The 40-year-old said: “I know first hand how addiction, abuse and trauma can lead you down a path of destruction.

“Through the support I got for my mental health and help in getting the skills I needed to believe I had a future, I’m four years clean, studying at university and have a job I’m passionate about.

“A Residential Women’s Centre will give women in the justice system the support they need to turn their backs on crime for good.”

Welsh Government Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt said: “The establishment of the first Residential Women’s Centre in Wales is a major step forward, providing a more rounded approach to delivering services for women.

“It will provide women with the support they need to live healthy, crime-free lives, whilst keeping them closer to their community.”