Bishop Rachel speaks in the House of Lords

Bishop Rachel has made a speech to the House of Lords on women in prison and the need for properly funded implementation of Female Offender Strategy.

She said, “Family separation and a revolving door cannot solve painful, ingrained patterns of behaviour frequently stemming from abuse and family breakdown. As has already been pointed by the noble Lord, Lord Beecham, twice as many women are in prison now as 20 years ago. Last year, almost 70% of women in prison were there for less than six months and 82% of those sentences were for non-violent offences.

“Such short stays are counterproductive as well as expensive. Furthermore, the recent report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights regarding children whose mothers are in prison gives a concerning account of the lack of support given to both children and mothers who are separated when the mother is taken into custody.”

Watch the full speech below

You can read the full speech here →