Funding to work with women affected by the criminal justice system, in prisons and in community-based women’s centres . This will address root causes of offending, the impact of Covid-19 restrictions in terms of mental health and domestic abuse and reduce our waiting list for services and support.
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Beneficiaries
5% of the prison population who are women are disadvantaged due to mental ill health, substance misuse, poverty & experience of trauma & abuse. 2 out of 5 women enter prison for 6 months or less (usually for minor offences), enough time to lose home, job & children. One third spent time in care as a child & most have experienced domestic abuse. Many leave prison homeless. 95% of children separated from their mother by prison leave their home to live with relatives or go into the care system.
WIP provides advocacy & support in prisons & women’s centres to enable women to address the root causes that brought them into the criminal justice system – mental ill health, substance use, homelessness, domestic abuse, debt, homelessness, poverty & trauma. This supports women via safe spaces in women’s centres & hubs, connecting women in prison to these before release and ‘through the gate’. Our policy & campaigns work shines light on the harm of prison & models an alternative that works.