Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Helen Grant (Conservative). It was answered on Tuesday, 13 September 2011 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Topical Questions

Question: Does the Minister agree that prison is not the right place for women who pose no risk to the public, and that robust community sentences would be a much better option?

Answer: It depends on what they have done for which they have to be punished. I do not think that prison is the right place for people who pose no risk to the public, but if they have done something heinous, they have to be punished in a way that the public regard as proportionate to the crime. We are paying considerable attention to the problem of women in prisons. There are too many. The combination of problems is sometimes quite specific, and in many cases there are multiple problems. Anything that can sensibly be done to improve the way we handle women prisoners, with proper regard to punishment and the protection of the public, we will do.

Secondary information