The Green Paper lays out the detail of the 'rehabilitation revolution' and sentencing reform this government has spoken of since coming into office.  This Green Paper is a product of different views on what our criminal justice system is for - to rehabilitate or to punish.  As well as a focus on rehabilitation the Green Paper contains punitive measures and emphasises the punitive role of the criminal justice system.

Why Respond to This Green Paper?
Women are a small minority of prisoners (around 5%) and a minority of those on probation (around 13%).  The criminal justice system's inability to respond to the root causes of women's offending behaviour sets women up to fail time and time again.  The process of criminal justice reform that this government has embarked upon provides an opportunity to address the gender inequality in the criminal justice system.  The Green Paper recognises gender difference, but contains no proposals to end the gender discrimination women experience as a result.

A strong response demanding a work programme for women to reduce the unnecessary imprisonment of women and combat the discrimination women in the criminal justice system face every day is vital to prevent women slipping out of view.

For detail of how the measures proposed in the Green Paper will impact on women and how to respond click here