If not being able to pay your council tax now justifies the state locking you up with a rapist, we are off to hell in a hand basket.

^^ I was trying to have this discussion with someone recently. They couldn't grasp that women are genuinely sent to prison over Council Tax, TV licence defaults and the like.

And the point beyond that of having a mother with a child and both are exposed to someone with a conviction for paedophila/sexual offences. Leaving aside the mother, what did the child do that the state just jeopardise the child in this way?

10% of all magistrate court cases are for non payment of TV licence.

I was trying to have this discussion with someone recently. They couldn't grasp that women are genuinely sent to prison over Council Tax, TV licence defaults and the like.

The Ministry Of Justice published its report on female offenders this summer (june 2018). It makes explicit both the specific sex-based vulnerabilities and offending patterns of female prisoners.

It is already influencing government policy.

It will become impossible not to interrogate the placing of rapists/ paedophiles in female estate in light of this report.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/719819/female-offender-strategy.pdf

It will become impossible not to interrogate the placing of rapists/ paedophiles in female estate in light of this report.

Do you not find there's a certain sort of person in discussions who will always prefer their own perspective and anecdotes over reports - dismissing them with, "Statistics always lie"? It's infuriating.

But, at the end, patiently promoting facts and referring people to reputable sources is all that we can do.

Do you not find there's a certain sort of person in discussions who will always prefer their own perspective and anecdotes over reports - dismissing them with, "Statistics always lie"? It's infuriating

I do and it is!

I often quote my (imaginary) Irish greatgrandpa who used to say "why spoil a good story with the truth eh?"

I know someone who is currently in the mother and baby unit at Peterborough.

This is just absolutely ridiculous yes she committed a crime but to put her and her child at risk is absolutely ridiculous.

Her husband is a footballer so I don’t know whether tweeting him would be a good idea to get this to a wider audience or if it could have a negative impact

Fairplay for Women Film:

Her husband is a footballer so I don’t know whether tweeting him would be a good idea to get this to a wider audience or if it could have a negative impact

Unless his wife's situation is already very public knowledge and they clearly don't mind tweets relating to it, sounds like it could be a significant invasion of their privacy so probably best not.

Could you DM him the story and leave it with him to decide what to do? He might be able to voice concerns privately if not publicly?

We know that there is a higher prevalence of need amongst female offenders, such as mental health problems, and self-harm. Many experience chaotic lifestyles which are often the product of a life of abuse and trauma; almost 60% of female offenders have experienced domestic abuse.

I am convinced that if we take the right approach to female offenders – one that addresses vulnerability, follows the evidence about what works in supporting them to turn their lives around, and treats them as individuals of value – it could have substantial benefits for victims, families, and wider society, as well as for female offenders themselves.

From the MOJ report, thanks R0wan. I don't know they can square this with putting rapists, paedophiles and other male prisoners in with female prisoners, it's not exactly treating women as "individuals of value", is it?

Thanks, Errol and Rowan. Yes deletion seems rather punitive. Closing is a better option but really very different conversations so I hope MN will be generous.

I'm glad they called that report the FEMALE Offender Strategy.

Otherwise, we would of course sadly be talking about transwomen amongst the actual women. TW who would get the benefit of a different regime, including talks of not sending women to jail at all if possible, although their offending pattern/behaviour is most likely completely male.

I'm sure there will be males who will be looking to take advantage of any new strategy, and saying how unfair and exclusionary it is. FFS.

I've emailed Fiona Onasanya about this, as she is my MP. Got a very disappointing (but wholly expected) response about how Lewin is legally female and it would be discriminatory to return them to a male prison.

Have replied reminding her about single sex exemptions in the EA, not that I imagine it will make any difference.