LONDON, March 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* Almost£32minvestmentfor women'sservicesto tackle root causes of reoffending * Life‑changing supportwill help female offenders get their lives back on track * Fewer women sent to prison as Women's Justice Board publisheslandmark report

Newgovernment investmentwill enablewomen'scentres and charities acrossthe countrytodeliver vitalspecialist help to femaleoffenders, the overwhelming majority ofwhomare themselvesvictimsof crime.

Themulti‑year packagerepresentsa 50 per cent increase in fundingto helpwomenget clean,find work andaccommodation, andmove away from abusive relationships.

This support is key to cutting crime with evidence showing howmore than two‑thirds of women in custody report being victims of domestic abuse, a factor which isa known indicator of crimes.

Further statistics show how more than half of female offenders have sustained brain injuries whileroughly thesame percentage have drug addictions.

Tackling theseunderlying issues and addressing the root causes of crimehelps to prevent more victims andreduce the £18 billion overall cost of reoffending to the taxpayer.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said:

Punishment musthelp women break away fromlives ofcrime, not send them back to a prison celltime and again, disrupting their own lives and those of their children.

Today,I am making this landmark investmentto help female offenders get their lives back on track and reduce reoffending.By helping women break free from addiction,abuseand homelessness, we are stopping future victims and making our streets safer.

The funding commitment comes as the Women's Justice Board-formed ofa panel of experts including former Victims' Commissioner Dame Vera Baird and the Prison Reform Trust director Pia Sinha -publishes itsindependentreportsettingout how the Government can reduce the number of women in custody.

Whilewomen who commit the most serious crimes will always be sent to prison, custody should be a last resort.The reporthighlightshowcommunityalternatives to custodyare more effective at tackling the root causes of crime and protecting the public.

This investmentdirectly aligns with theboard's recommendation for sustainable investment in specialist services that prevent crime and make communities safer.

Anne Fox, CEO Clinks and Women's Justice Board member

This announcement of increased funding for diversion is hugely welcome. We know that many women enter the criminal justice system following long histories of trauma, poverty, abuse and unmet health needs. This is need that can and should be addressed well before any initial contact with the CJS, and this funding will be crucial in supporting this work. Specialist women's services across the voluntary sector are best placed to provide this much needed support.

This builds on recommendations made both by the Independent Sentencing Review and the Women's Justice Board in its report published today, to fund diversion and support community services.

Natausha van Vliet, CEO of PACT, which runs Alana House Women's Community Project, said:

This long‑overdue investment is hugely welcome. At Alana House we see how trauma, abuse and poverty pushes women into the criminal justice system, and this funding will enable us to support and empower more women to achieve positive, sustainable changes.

Community‑based, trauma‑informed support works - it keeps women safe, reduces reoffending and strengthens families. We look forward to working with partners to ensure this investment delivers real, lasting change.

The reportalso recommends greater use of Intensive Supervision Courts which the Governmenthascommitted to expanding - including a new site for female offenders in Liverpool, due to open later this year.

These crime‑cutting courts support offenders who have committed low‑level crimes and are also dealing with issues such as addiction or trauma.

They require participants to attendappropriate treatmentand appear regularly before the same judge, who closelymonitorstheir progress. Those whofail tocomply face tough consequences, including time in prison.

Countries using this model have been shown to experience arrests for further offences drop by a third compared to offenders on a standard prison sentence.

As the Government looks tosupport the next phase of work to divert women from custody, the Women's Justice Board willtransitioninto a Women's Justice Advisory Group, offering independentexpertiseas reforms develop.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.