January 2015 Press Release
DOES SCOTLAND NEED THE NEW STRATHCLYDE WOMEN’S PRISON ? A leading women’s organisation calls for a UK-wide drive to reform women’s justice. Soroptimists say: “Too many women in Scotland and the UK are still being sent to prison instead of receiving community sanctions and targeted support to address the causes of their offending.” Scottish Soroptimists together with their Soroptimist UK Programme Action Committee have been working with the Prison Reform Trust, and, information gathered by 139 Soroptimist clubs across the UK has been distilled into a Report. The Report paints a mixed picture of the criminal justice system’s response to women. In Scotland, it is estimated that 80% of women in the Cornton Vale Prison have mental health problems. Many are victims of severe physical, emotional and sexual abuse and there are high rates of self harm and drug and alcohol problems. The majority