Hundreds of women on 'incomprehensible' short sentences for shoplifting, campaigners warn

‘Women are disproportionately hit by super short sentences and it cost tens of thousands of pounds per year to keep each of these women in prison,’ Labour says

David Gauke, the justice secretary, has drawn links between reoffending rates and short spells in Britain’s overcrowded and violent jails (Getty)

Hundreds of women have been sent to prison to serve short sentences for minor offences like shoplifting, new figures reveal, prompting warnings that vulnerable people are being drawn into a vicious cycle of reoffending.

Official data shows that 57 per cent of women imprisoned for ultra-short sentences in 2017 were being punished for minor offences, and some could serve only a matter of weeks as sentencing rules mean non-violent prisoners are typically released after half of that time.

The Independent previously revealed that one in four women – and one in six men – jailed in 2016 were imprisoned for under one month.

Campaigners say women are “disproportionately hit” by short sentences and their incarceration is disruptive to wider families as women are more likely to be primary carers for children or elderly relatives.

A recent report by the Prison Reform Trust found 95 per cent of children whose mothers are imprisoned are forced to leave their homes.

David Gauke, the justice secretary, is known to be critical of such measures and has drawn links between reoffending rates and short spells in Britain’s overcrowded and violent jails.

He promised to offer a “step change” to rehabilitation on the publication of the government’s much-delayed female offenders’ strategy, which aims to break the cycle of offending by shifting the focus away from custodial sentences.

However Philip Lee, a former Tory justice minister involved in developing the strategy, said the plan was underfunded by around £15m, and described short sentences for women as “often pointless and unnecessary”, making ”society look vindictive”.

The figures, disclosed in a parliamentary question by justice minister Edward Argar, reveal that 2,311 women were locked up for up to three months for theft from shops, out of all 4,093 female offenders serving short sentences.

Sentences for common assault and battery were the next most populous group, with only 307 women convicted for up to three months during 2017.

Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, told The Independent: “Most people will be shocked to learn that thousands of women are being sent to prison for just a few weeks for shoplifting.

“Women are disproportionately hit by super short sentences and it cost tens of thousands of pounds per year to keep each of these women in prison.

“We really need to be asking ourselves if this is the best use of public resources or the most effective way of reducing crime to keep our communities safer

“If the government is serious about its new female offender strategy turning lives around, and not just becoming another report gathering dust on the shelf, then it needs to properly fund the alternatives to prison that are proven to work. It should keep prison for those who really need to be there.”

Community sentences including addiction programmes, unpaid work and rehabilitation are considered to be cheaper and more effective than imprisonment.

Kate Paradine, chief executive of Women in Prison, said the amount of money spent on prisons was “ludicrous”, as the cost of a month behind bars was equivalent to a year’s rehabilitation in the community.

“Mostly the root causes of the kind of offences we are talking about are addiction, poverty and mental ill health, so in terms of the point of a prison sentence it just usually makes things much harder,” she told The Independent.

“We see the damage prison sentences cause all the time, which is why we have campaigned so hard for the government to focus on eliminating these sentences.

“Even the shortest of sentences can have a massive impact. Women can lose their home, their children, their job if they’ve got one and come out to things being a lot worse.

“There’s a stigma that’s attached to having had a prison sentence and that will sometimes be a lifelong thing, because most people find it hard to believe that anyone is sent to prison for the sort of crimes that thousands of women are being sent to prison for.”

Women can be sent to prison for minor offences such as failing to pay a TV license fee or truancy by their children, Dr Paradine said.

One shocking case resulted in the incarceration of a woman who was eight months pregnant, which most “right-thinking people would find incomprehensible”, she added.

Alex Hewson, policy and communications officer for the Prison Reform Trust, said there was an emerging political consensus that “short prison sentences fail both victims and those we send to prison”.

“The government’s new strategy for female offenders presents a real opportunity, giving women the chance and the responsibility to turn their lives around by investing in effective community solutions,” he said.

“Ministers have said that they see the futility of short sentences for men and women; it’s time to follow Scotland’s lead and introduce a presumption against their use.”

Asked about the figures, a spokesman said: “We want to reduce the number of women receiving short prison sentences so they are not separated from their children unless absolutely necessary. Our new female offender strategy will make sure the impact on children is considered at every stage of the criminal justice system.

“We know that strong family ties are important to offenders’ rehabilitation which is why we have also ordered an independent review to look at what more can be done in this area.”

Under its new strategy, the MoJ will pilot five residential centres for women across England and Wales, scrapping its previous promise to build five new women’s prisons by the end of 2020.

Speaking at the launch of the strategy last week, Mr Gauke said: “Many of the women serving custodial sentences are extremely vulnerable and have experienced abuse themselves.

“Evidence clearly shows that putting women into prison can do more harm than good for society, failing to cut the cycle of reoffending and often exacerbating already difficult family circumstances.

“While public protection will always be our priority, and prison must remain the only option in the most serious cases, I want that to be a last resort.”

:: TV Licensing has asked us to make clear that the maximum penalty for watching TV illegally is a £1,000 fine (plus costs and victim surcharge) and that custodial sentences may only be imposed for non-payment of fines where there is a wilful refusal to pay or culpable neglect on the part of the offender, and where other enforcement measures have failed or are not applicable. We are glad to clarify the point.