Great article on Comment is Free by Yvonne Roberts, one of the trustees of Women in Prison:
In 2009, the Ministry of Justice allocated over £15m to develop a range of services to divert women from custody – that is welcome (if funding is sustained) but it is loose change compared with the cost of keeping a growing number incarcerated at a price of £41,00 per year, per prisoner. If community-based punishment and a reduction in recidivism is to be achieved, that requires a proper investment with a view to the …

The Corston Coalition recently held a morning seminar for an invited audience of charities, funders, civil servants and academics. The mornig’s introductory speech was given by Richard Garside, the director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. Richard has helpfully posted what he said on his blog.

The Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition are delighted to announce the grant recipients of the first round of the Women’s Diversionary Fund.
In February 2010, the Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition and the Ministry of Justice announced the creation of a joint £2m fund to divert women from custody. The Women’s Diversionary Fund focuses on:
- Supporting organisations to develop new one-stop-shop services for women offenders
- Developing existing one-stop-shop services further
- Building the capacity of the women’s offending sector
The projects supported are:
Nottingham Women’s Centre – to develop the centre’s services and diversionary activities …